


Shards of Glass

by Mini_Goat



Series: Shards [1]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, Guilt, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Prisoners, Team as Family, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26510212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mini_Goat/pseuds/Mini_Goat
Summary: Trapped between bad choices SG-1 sacrifices to save each other but the price might be higher than anyone anticipated.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Series: Shards [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927477
Comments: 146
Kudos: 118





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SG1 are captured and put in a labor camp for prisoners. Sam is faced with risking multiple nightly rapes or hook up with Jack as protection. They fake a physical relationship to avoid breaking any regs and this goes okay until the other prisoners threaten to rape her anyway when Jack doesn't have sex with her several nights in a row. She ends up pregnant because they are trapped there for months. Jack blames himself for failing to get his team out.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi gang! Sorry I have had such a long hiatus. Would you believe I actually ran out of my banked stories while working on IRL stuff? Well… I did. I’m just as shocked as you might be. I hope you enjoy this one. It’s a 3 parter but parts 1 and 2 are complete and 3 is in the works. Part 3 is a colab with GWhite so that should be lots of fun. This story is going to take lots of twists and turns and seem to change direction quite a bit over it’s course. I will endeavor to have less empty periods going forward but I can’t make guarantees as I’m homeschooling my kids this year and have that whole trying to find a job while I finish commissions thing going on. That said I’ll be releasing a chapter every other day until I have the whole work/life balance thing under control... Whenever THAT is.. -- Das Goat --

“Men… against the wall. Women, over there.” The guards told each prisoner as they entered the facility. On the transport ship, they had been chained to their seats randomly. Sam had been worried about being separated from her team until one of the male prisoners casually assaulted a female prisoner and was immediately murdered by the guards. It was gruesome but made her less worried about the situation. Unrestrained, she could hold her own but hampered by shackles she was going to have to be creative to avoid being violated.

SG-1 were tired and dirty. They had been ambushed and tossed in with the other prisoners as though their captors had no clue they were wanted by the Goa’uld and simply grabbed them for existing. Before they were put on the ship their clothing was removed, forcibly for those who resisted and they were issued disposable green jump suits that were neither warm nor comfortable. Sam stood with the other women, her eye always on her other team members while she waited. There had been no opening, no opportunity to plan an escape, even with Jack who she didn’t need to communicate with verbally or even by hand signal to have a conversation.

Sam remained aware of the situation anyway. It could change at any moment and, armed or not, she was prepared.

Jack was unprepared for the turn of events after they were shuffled into the common area of the prison. Honestly, in retrospect he shouldn’t have been surprised. There had been rumors a crime syndicate calling itself the Lucian Alliance that was infiltrating local governments for black market reasons. The ramifications of this current situation would have significant consequences to SG-1.

“I am Snrell, Warden of this facility.” An extremely large muscular man of medium skin and hair so dirty its color was indeterminate. “You will do as I say at all times. You will eat when you are told to eat. You will work when you are told to work. You will sleep when you are told to sleep.” He announced. “Some of these women who came with you, if any of them are your mates, you will be allowed to sleep together. For those without a mate and the other women who were already here… you men will fight each other for them. For those with a contested mate, you may fight for her as well. Once mates are assigned however… no man but her mate has the right to touch her. Noncompliance will be met with swift retribution.”

Everyone thought of the butchered prisoner that had attempted to assault one of the female prisoners on the trip here.

The large man named Snrell tilted his head, gauging how well this crop understood. There were always the rapists who were never satisfied with one woman but still wanted one available to them alone. “The remaining women will be rotated among men without mates until they are chosen or gravid.”

Sam looked around at the women with her and noticed several had the defeated looks of the abused. She wondered what the punishment was for women killing a rapist here?

Jack, Daniel, and Teal’c all scowled and exchanged a look. No way in hell was Sam going to be passed around like a piece of meat. Whoever got called on first would claim her.

“If someone chooses your mate… you may contest it immediately. The claimant may choose to concede or may choose to battle you until one of you yields. If all of you want to contest his claim, go ahead and line up. We don’t mind if you kill them, there’s always more prisoners.” Snrell said with a nasty sneer.

Some of the guards laughed in anticipation. SG-1 exchanged another round of looks. Nothing about that laughter boded well.

There were several women ahead of Sam in line and she and her team watched as some were claimed by apparent spouses or lovers, others claimed by individuals. Some with apparent relief as they had obviously been in circulation for some time and others with apparent resignation realizing the other option was being forced by multiple partners. About five women in, the first contested mating happened.

“Bolar, that’s my woman and you know it.” A surly man said to a younger more muscular man with a bald head.

“Come and take her, Takitti.” The larger man laughed. Neither man was armed.

“The first challenge begins!” Snrell said with a laugh.

Takitti was released from his bonds to approach Bolar. He rushed the other man and they were quickly on the floor pounding on each other with their fists. The crowd of men shouted encouragement to the two men who grunted and savagely beat each other until Bolar yanked Takitti’s arm behind his back with an audible snap. Takitti screamed.

“I told you one day I’d take her from you.” Bolar said savagely as he punched the other man in a kidney, making him scream again. Bolar made a move to snap the other man’s neck when Snrell called a stop to it.

“Yah won unless you’ve another challenger?” He looked around. Several men who had thought about it were now shaking their heads. “Next woman!”

This pairing was also contested but the two men came to an agreement of some kind without coming to blows. It was done quietly with their heads together and they clearly didn’t want an audience for the conversation. The first man gave the woman up to the other and she gave the first man a grateful hug. Jack was willing to bet the men knew each other and respected each other… or like his team agreed to protect her regardless of who was called first.

Two women later Sam was prodded forward. Before any of her team could say a word, one of the men steps forward. “I claim this woman.” He said with a jut of his chin.

Jack started to contest it when Daniel stopped him. Daniel shook his head and hand signaled the guy was bigger than them, to let him go first and soften him up, then if Daniel didn’t win for Jack to try. Teal’c nodded with them that this was the best course. Daniel knew he was unlikely to best the man but he’d wear him out some for Jack. Both men knew Jack would contest Daniel’s claim and Daniel would give her up but that was one of those unspoken agreements.

“I contest your claim on this woman.” Daniel announced, stepping forward.

Some of the men chuckled. Snrell stepped in. “The little man can contest for the woman the same as any other.” He reminded them as Daniel was released from his shackles.

The man who claimed Sam was large, dark haired, and pale skinned. “You think you can take me, little man?”

“Let’s find out.” Daniel said.

Sam wanted to stop them. To tell Daniel this wasn’t worth getting a broken arm or worse… but she’d seen the conversation between the Colonel and Daniel and realized if Daniel backed down… Jack would still fight the other man regardless. So she watched with a worried frown as Daniel gave as good as he got and wore the guy down but eventually found himself pinned.

“Yield.” The other man told him.

Daniel nodded.

“I contest this claim, too.” Jack said. Snrell motioned for Jack to be unshackled while Daniel was helped up.

Jack walked forward and faced the other man. “She’s not yours.” He said simply.

“Give it a shot, old man.” He said.

But Jack didn’t fight fair. Not when it came to Sam’s safety. Daniel had purposely jabbed the man in pressure points rather than try to outright win. Jack was making progress but it was slow and he was tired of this. “I have vested interest just so you know and even if I lose… you see that big hulking Jaffa? He’s the next guy that’s going to challenge you for her. And he makes me look like a cupcake.”

The other man glanced at Teal’c and his eyes went wide. While he was distracted, Jack jabbed him with a south paw uppercut. Not expecting the sucker punch, the other man reeled and crumpled to the ground.

“I yield.” He croaked out.

Jack nodded and helped the other man up.

The guards released Sam who ran to Daniel to make sure he was all right.

“I’m fine. I’m fine, Sam.” Daniel coughed. “Go stand by Jack… It’s all right.” He told her and squeezed her hand on his cheek.

Sam gave him a worried frown and went to Jack.

Jack sighed, unable to console her in this situation. He knew what this meant and he’d do what he could to avoid that.

Teal’c watched Sam for a moment. “I will care for Daniel Jackson, Major Carter.” He told her. Accurately guessing Sam was far more worried about Daniel’s injuries than being forced to have hain’kak[1] with a man she was known to be physically and emotionally attracted to.

Neither Daniel nor Teal’c picked a woman. Both deciding to keep an eye on who was abusive and handle things that way now that Sam was safe.

They were led to small sleeping units with narrow double beds, a small wash space that seemed to be a combined shower sink and toilet unit and a lockable built in dresser. The guards explained how to set the biometric scan to each of them to avoid theft as the doors on the cells did not lock and left them in their cells for the evening.

Sam and Jack waited for the guards to leave the general area before they started searching their very small room. There were no cameras which was good. There was nothing that would make a good weapon which was bad for now. There was also an unavoidably small bed.

The blanket was thin but it would have to do. Jack grabbed it and one of the pillows and started to set up on the floor when Sam took his wrist, her head down, a frown of worry on her face.

“Carter?”

“Sir, I’d really feel a lot better if you slept in the bed with me and I think your knee would thank me too.”

He watched the expressions that flitted across her features. Worry, fear… and oddly… hope for a flash of a second. Jack reminded himself that the hope was mostly about hoping he’d understand. “Sure, Carter, if it would make you feel better.” He knew she’d gone on a couple dates recently but she didn’t seem invested anyway… not that it mattered.

It wasn’t even the first time they had lain together in a prison. Just usually all four of them were together in a cage and Teal’c stood watch overnight and kelno-reemed in the morning. Now he and Sam were separated from Teal’c and Daniel and he suspected that was the source of Sam’s anxiety about being in the bed alone.

She gave him a small grateful smile. “Thank you, sir.” She said thoughtfully.

“Any time.” He said reassuringly as he put the blanket back on the bed. “Do you want to go check on Daniel?” He asked her gently.

Sam nodded and they got up to go find their friends.

Daniel was two cells over and Teal’c was with him tending his wounds as best he could with the limited medical supplies a guard had dropped off. Several cells away, Takitti moaned miserably. Sam gave Jack a look. Jack and Teal’c looked at each other a moment.

“I will see to the man named Takitti if you will finish here, Major Carter.” Teal’c told her.

“Thanks, Teal’c.” Sam said.

Jack noted the irony that the injured man could be garbage for all they knew. It was a prison after all. These people might be here because they were supposed to be. But helping him might give them an edge sometime later when they needed a friend… even a shady one… and sometimes shady friends were exactly the friends you needed Jack thought as an image of Maybourne came to mind.

Sam was quietly wrapping Daniel’s ribs for him. There wasn’t much they could do but at least he was clean and they could make him a little comfortable.

“Thanks guys.” Daniel said after Sam and Jack got him comfortable. “I should be all right now.”

“Are you sure?” Sam asked him with concern as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“I’m fine, ma…” He said jokingly.

“Try to get some rest, Danny.” Jack told him. “If you need us, we’re two cells down apparently.”

Daniel nodded and made a shooing motion for them to leave. Once they were out of sight, he rolled his eyes. The only reason for pairing up the prisoners was breeding black market babies. He knew Jack knew this too. Hopefully, they would get out of here before it came to that. He also really hoped Sam and Jack knew how to be quiet. Sam was literally like a sister to him and Jack was his best friend. He really wasn’t comfortable with the idea in the first place.

Sam and Jack went back to their cell and sat on the bed together. He draped an arm across her shoulders as she rested her head against his shoulder. “I wish I had my deck of cards.” Jack said thoughtfully.

“Not your yo-yo?” Sam asked him surprised.

“Yo-yo isn’t a two person game.” Jack said as though that were obvious.

Sam snorted wryly. Leave it to Jack to try to make the best of things.

Jack sighed and kissed the top of her head. “I don’t think anyone will try anything now but stay on your guard at all times, Carter.”

“Yes sir.” She agreed and wrapped her arms around his waist. They sat silently holding each other for a long time. They had been given no further instructions after all. So they listened to the other prisoners settle in. Apparently there were several cell blocks. Many of the women who had not been selected were taken back to another cell. They could hear some of the women and girls being forced and Sam and Jack looked at each other in horror that there was nothing they could do about it. One man had already tried to get to a woman in their cell block to stop the attack and had been immediately killed by a guard for it.

Apparently you couldn’t touch someone else’s woman or one not assigned to the unit yet but raping your own woman was just fine. Jack held Sam tighter. A silent promise that she wouldn’t face that here. That he, Danny and Teal’c would protect her.

[1] Vulgar word for sexual relations based on Arabic. Goa’uld is loosely based on Coptic which is the origin language of modern Arabic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now trapped SG-1 works on trying to figure out a way out but Sam's experiences differ that day.

The next working day the men were taken off to the labor camps and the women were herded into a large room where a man in a lab coat that had odd green piping over pale blue, presumably the lead doctor, stood at the head flanked by menacing armed guards.

“Good morning ladies. Everyone please have a seat.” There were no chairs so all the women slowly sat on the floor, some cross legged, others hugging their knees or kneeling. “Now then… some of you come from other blocks and have had orientation before but were not chosen or have not become gravid with a partner. Be aware you will receive the utmost care in our facility. Your duties will be lightened and you will be given every possible accommodation.”

One of the women put up a hand. “Gravid?”

“Yes. With child.”

The woman turned pale. Sam sighed. Thank god Jack and Daniel had been there, had fought for her. Neither would force her against her will nor would have Teal’c. She doubted that was true of the other men here.

“What happens if we don’t become pregnant?” Another women asked.

“We will examine you for issues. Anything we can repair we shall do so. Issues that are irreparable will simply consign you to work detail as your worth will then only be as a worker.”

Some of the women looked hopeful. Sam’s lips flattened into a flat line. That would likely be her fate as well. As far as anyone knew, former hosts were unable to carry a pregnancy to term. At least, the Tok’ra had never heard of any who had. Sam had no way of knowing the reason there had never been a fertile former host to the Tok’ra knowledge was because rarely was a former host still young enough to have a viable reproductive system.

“Each of you will be assigned to various factory duties during the day while the men work according to your aptitude. Some of you will be assigned to prepare meals, others laundry, the rest in labor units much like the men.”

“Will we be separated from the men during the day then?” The woman who asked about what would happen if they didn’t get pregnant asked him.

“There is no reason to mingle with the men during work hours. They have their duties. You have yours. A few work group positions are mixed but those are for those of you who score exceptionally high in certain aptitude areas which is rare and will be assigned accordingly.”

Sam considered flubbing her scores just so she didn’t help these lunatics advance any further technologically. But would Jack try to get the scores he was capable of hoping he’d be in the work groups to be near her. She’d better check on that before she did either. She bit her lip with worry. They worked better as a team. She didn’t like being separated from the guys. Not because she was afraid. Far from it. She was worried about them. Worried Daniel would get hurt trying to break up a fight or Jack would get hurt trying to stop an injustice. Both highly likely events as both had done exactly that sort of thing in the past. Knowing Teal’c the way she did, he’d likely just go along with whatever harebrained idea Jack came up with and get himself killed too.

“Today we will examine each of you for health issues and you may spend that time getting to know each other.” The medical coated man smiled brightly at them and motioned for the staff to bring his first victim back.

Sam who had been sitting with her knees pulled up sighed and stared off into space, worried for her team and hoping they were at least together. That Teal’c was watching over her best guy friend and… well… whatever it was Jack was to her beyond her CO. Lately, she and Jack had this odd juxtaposition of absolute professionalism on duty and not entirely appropriate, occasionally kissing each other entirely inappropriately when they found themselves the last ones still up on team nights. As if the guys asleep upstairs was enough to hold them back but not enough to keep their hands to themselves.

“Hi. I’m Kaylin.” A slender brunette said to Sam.

“Sam.” Sam said simply. She really wasn’t in the mood to get to know these girls but they may possibly prove themselves good sources of information. She had been one of the girls already standing there when her team was brought in. “So what’s really going on?”

“It’s a baby factory. They treat you real nice, get you knocked up, then sell your baby after you nurse it for a couple months.” Kaylin said. She shrugged. “I’m kind of glad I got chosen for a regular partner at least for now. I haven’t had one in a while.”

Sam looked at her thoughtfully. “How long have you been here?”

“A few years. I’ve had three babies and a miscarriage. They let you rest between them while you nurse and for a few months after if you want to. Even let you leave that partner if he’s not agreeable, which is why all my babies have different daddies. I was picked initially but he was a real hay'awan. Pestered me for sex even while I was nursing so I took my nursing leave and didn’t go back.”

“I’m sorry.” Sam said and she was. It sounded like a hard life being nothing but a walking uterus at the whim of men whose only interest was sexual.

Kaylin shrugged though. “I grew up with nothing to eat on the streets. This stinks; but I eat three times a day and all for the low low price of kids I couldn’t afford to raise anyway. Some rich loser can give my kids a nice life.” She looked amused. “I bet they will even get a free education.”

Sam sighed. She most likely wouldn’t get pregnant thankfully. Not that she was worried about it. They could fake it now and again to make it look like they were so the doctor or whatever he was would just assume she was infertile and apparently leave it at that. They had not examined the guys or questioned them and Sam wasn’t sure Jack would admit he’d already had a son to them. It sounded like the sweeps that nabbed them occasionally picked up homeless people which explained why SG-1 had been grabbed. They had been dressed to blend in.

Team three or thirteen would come looking for them eventually. Hopefully, they would figure out what happened and stage a rescue. Until then, they would make sure to be as inconspicuous as possible. She didn’t judge the other woman for her choice. This was better than living on the streets. Hot meals, a steady job. For a girl in that position being a baby factory would be a small price.

“So what’s your story?” Kaylin asked Sam.

Sam shrugged though. “There isn’t one really. Just here trying to survive.”

Kaylin nodded sagely. “Yah. The man you’re with. He your husband?”

Sam shook her head. “Just a friend.”

“A friend who was willing to fight to be your partner pretty hard. Both of ‘em were.”

Sam nodded. “We’re very close friends. Our other friend would have also fought to protect me from being claimed by someone else.” She shrugged. “They’re good guys. They don’t want anyone to hurt me.”

“I suppose if you have to spread your legs doing it with someone you’re friendly with helps.” Kaylin agreed.

Sam didn’t say anything though. She was glad it hadn’t come down to Teal’c who called her kal’ma akht, little sister, in his more affectionate moments. Usually after she’d mastered another combat skill or been promoted. He’d be fine with having to share living accommodations with her. Having to bed her would leave him full of anger at the situation and himself. It would be awkward for her and Daniel but doable. They loved each other as friends. He was technically single though not over the loss of his wife.

Jack was kind of a problem for entirely different reasons. The mind stamp incident had left them struggling emotionally with their feelings until they had figured out the release valve of making out on team night. They were technically breaking the regs with the heavy make out sessions but it never went further than using their hands to get each other off and cuddling after. An odd sort of compromise but the best they could do as they couldn’t talk about their feelings directly and Sam really wasn’t sure things were genuinely over with his ex-wife either. He still had photos of her up in the house. Sam had no way of knowing Jack had those photos around to remind himself not to hurt Sam the way he had Sara. And she’d been on a couple of dates recently herself, after realizing they could never get any further than where they were now with things.

“This is probably a big adjustment for you. You look like you might have had a normal life.” Kaylin said.

Sam shrugged. “Not really but… not this.” She agreed.

“Food is pretty good” Kaylin said agreeably as one of the staff claimed Sam for her physical.

Sam mutely followed the worker to an examination room.

“Your age?”

“35”

“Have you ever been pregnant?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Are you pregnant now?”

“No.”

“Do you have any underlying health concerns that may make pregnancy dangerous for you?”

“Nope.” She answered, thinking ‘the fact that I probably can’t isn’t a danger’.

“Are you currently using a long term contraceptive?”

“Yes.”

The nurse led Sam to an examination bed without asking her to remove her clothing. “Lie down please.”

Sam complied, mostly because of the large armed guard. She could overwhelm the guy, take his weapon… but then what. She had no idea where the guys were.

The woman ran some kind of device over her slowly. She didn’t know what it did but she could guess. There was a hard probability her recent Depo shot had just been flushed from her system. Sam sighed. It didn’t matter. Even if they had been lovers which they had not gone that far… there was no way Jack would put her in that position.

“You will be summoned monthly to be examined for pregnancy. Should six cycles pass without a pregnancy you will be examined more thoroughly for anomalies. Exit through that door. Guard, bring the next woman.” The nurse said dismissively.

Sam sat up and followed directions. She was led back to the main dining area where bread and sliced meat was laid out. A few of the girls were eating, some were chatting with each other. Sam sat by herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to make friends… it was knowing she wasn’t a homeless waif or a criminal like these women had been. Sam reached for a piece of meat and rolled it before taking a bite. Chewing thoughtfully she stared off at nothing. She knew Jack was probably working on a plan. There had to be a way out of this facility and to get to a Stargate. Barring that, a way to contact the Asgard or Tok’ra.

Hopefully, the guys being bussed out of the prison every day meant they at least saw something of where they were.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack sat to the left of Sam, chewing on his dinner thoughtfully. It wasn’t particularly well seasoned but it wasn’t slop either. Sam had told him that most of the women had been living on the street prior to being brought here and many of them felt being a breeder was preferable to being cold and starving all the time. This made coming back at some later time to save these people problematic. They weren’t being worked to death. In fact, the factory work seemed to be simply something to keep the inmates from getting rowdy not really a form of punishment. The main purpose of the facility was apparently making babies. The doors on their cells could close but didn’t lock. He’d concluded that the guards tolerated forcing the girls but not harming them otherwise. It was disgusting but he could see why a lot of the women here might find it preferable than being beaten and raped in the streets. Daniel sat on the other side of Sam and Teal’c on the other side of him. Jack sat them strategically not because he thought Sam needed protecting but because she was the one most likely to be assaulted and while Sam was fairly confident that the men in the facility would respect her status of not available… Teal’c had agreed with him that it was wiser to err on the side of caution until they were sure.

Later that evening, Sam was sitting in the corner of the foot of the bed, Jack was leaning against the wall, Teal’c stood in the door so it could not be entered and Daniel sat on the other half of the bed.

“How yah feeling, Danny?” Jack asked the younger man casually. His black eye had bloomed spectacularly and he was still moving a little slow.

“I don’t think anything is broken. Unlike the other guy that got beaten up.”

Jack nodded. “Did you check on him, T?”

“I brought him food and changed his dressings prior to joining you here, O’Neill.” Teal’c said.

Jack nodded. “All right… here’s what we know so far. It’s a work camp doubling as a breeding facility. I’m not sure why they aren’t more selective about the breeding partners? Possibly midrange clients that can’t afford designer babies?”

Daniel frowned and shrugged then winced at the movement. Sam gave him a worried look and he patted her and said that he was all right.

“They plan to send us out to different labor camps. You said there was going to be an aptitude test, Carter?”

“Yes sir. I don’t really want these people to have better technology but it was insinuated that the brightest prisoners would be given scientific jobs.”

Jack nodded. “I have half a mind to not deliberately blow the test so I can see for myself. I trust you to report back anything you find and it’s probably better if we split up so it doesn’t look like we are planning anything. We need to have a solid idea of the entire operation so everyone do your usual best and I’ll flub mine so I get in with the grunts.”

“Why though, sir?”

“Because it’s likely you and Daniel will end up in academic pursuits and T will qualify for something equally useful, leaving us in the dark about the lower reaches of this place where there might be handy things like escape routes.”

Sam’s eyes twinkled. Only Jack would strategically play dumb.

“Anyone got anything else to add?” Jack asked. They all shook their heads. “All right. Everyone but Carter out before it looks like a kinky orgy.”

“Jack!” Daniel said, his eyes boggling out.

Sam had her hand over her eyes but it was pretty obvious she was laughing silently.

Teal’c gave Jack an amused smirk before moving away from the door so Daniel could leave. He gave Jack and Sam a short bow then left himself.

Once Jack knew they were gone, he sighed and pulled off his dirty work shirt and tried to wash up some. She’d lain next to him smelling worse but that wasn’t the point. He threw the shirt in the chute on the wall knowing a clean one would be delivered tomorrow morning.

Sam laid down and waited for him to join her on the narrow bed.

Once Jack was stretched out, he slid his arm under her shoulders and Sam put her head on his shoulder, pulled the blanket up over them both and wrapped her arm around his chest.

Jack sighed.

Sam lifted her head slightly and looked at him in the dim light.

Jack shook his head and lightly pressed her head back down with his free hand, stroking her cheek softly for a moment before he put his hand behind his head. “Maybe if I close my eyes, we’ll be at my cabin and this will all just be a really bad dream.” He admitted softly.

“Sir, I’m not sure it would be entirely wise to cuddle in bed with you shirtless at your cabin.” Sam said dryly but he could hear a smile in her voice.

Jack chuckled a little and the low rumble in his chest reminded Sam of a lion purring. “Wise? No. Fun? Oh yah.” His voice taking on the tone of a man imagining the sorts of fun he might get up to in bed with a woman he desires.

Sam thumped her hand on his chest playfully. “Go to sleep, sir.”

“Ooh… ordering me around like a cadet. I like it.” Jack said, smirking.

“Sir.” She snorted, trying not to laugh.

“Night Carter.”

“Good night Sir.” She said firmly and pointedly pressed her head into his shoulder again.

Jack fell asleep fantasizing about the two of them cuddled together on the antique bed at the cabin covered in old quilts and happily post-sex sleepy.


	4. Chapter 4

Several days passed before the aptitude tests were completed. Teal’c was given a job in the boiler room. No shock there. Daniel while brilliant at languages and history was shown to not be very useful at many other things and ended up in the main food plant measuring out units of food for the various prison cells. It was there he learned that, after a month or two, most of the women in a unit would be pregnant. After the births and collection of the babies, the cell would be emptied, cleaned, and refilled. Residents that had issues were moved to the next cell over and new men and women were brought in. Successful partners were allowed to stay together and were also treated fairly well as they could be expected in these conditions. Getting along seemed to be heavily rewarded. There were rumors that couples who were able to successfully breed together more than three times were considered rehabilitated and allowed to leave with the next baby and a small fund to restart their lives as a couple. That some of the workers were former prisoners seemed to confirm this.

Jack had no intention of trying to knock up Sam over and over to see if that was true.

Sam, of course, managed to score herself one of the primo jobs and Jack successfully tricked the test into thinking he was entirely average intellectually. Sam had just shaken her head. He easily could have gotten a job in the lab with her. The test hadn’t been that difficult. Jack had admitted he also could have easily passed it himself. But he stood behind his decision that they needed to split up and learn everything they could and he was the only one qualified for a dumb job.

They all quietly gathered data at their respective jobs and met up each night to report anything useful they might have encountered. So far no one had much. About five weeks in, one of the other women quietly took Sam aside.

“You do not share relations with your man. They will notice and separate you.” She told Sam.

Sam looked at her oddly. “That’s not…”

“I tell you this as we must stick together. If you wish to remain with him, you must copulate at least occasionally. I can give you a cream if he is too big and hurts you when you share relations.”

Sam’s cheeks flamed red in shock and embarrassment. “I really don’t think…”

“Be careful, sister. If they find you are not mating, they will put you back in the pool.” And she walked away, ending further discussion. She hadn’t even been from Sam’s unit which meant the cells did interact and word had gotten around that her relationship with Jack was platonic.

Sam sighed. Yet another complication.

* * *

After the others had left, Sam tugged Jack down on the bed and put her mouth close to Jack’s ear and told him what she’d been told today.

“That’s not happening Carter. I won’t let them hurt you.”

Sam huffed a sigh. “I don’t know what to do.”

Jack thought for a moment then dimmed the light and put a finger to her lips. He nudged her back on the bed and Sam’s eyes were wide but he didn’t even attempt to remove her clothes. He made deliberate rustling sounds around his pants that sounded like he was tugging them down and settled lower than would ever be helpful for what he wanted it to sound like and dry humped the bed so it would squeak as though he was having sex with her.

“Moan a little.” Jack hissed at her.

Sam nodded and moaned fairly convincingly as though he was doing a fairly good job at it. Jack let out a satisfied sounding grunt and stilled. He put his hand over her mouth though because she was starting to shake with a fit of suppressed giggles.

Once she calmed down, he pulled her against him and settled for the night. “No windows. That ought to shut them up for a while.” He murmured into her hair.

“Yes sir.” She agreed sleepily.

* * *

The next day on the bus over to their jobs Daniel looked daggers at Jack. “What is _wrong_ with you?!” He hissed.

“What are you talking about?” Jack asked mystified.

“Jack! I heard you last night! Sam told us they did something to her contraception. You’re going to get her pregnant!”

“Keep it down, would yah. No, I’m not.”

“Jack… you took health class the same as everyone else. You know where babies come from.”

But Jack smirked.

Daniel looked at him suspiciously. “What did you do?”

“Carter said someone had noticed no one ever heard us having sex.”

“So last night…?”

“You heard us having sex.”

Daniel looked confused for a few moments until he figured it out. “You…?”

Jack just grinned. “A gentleman never tells.”

“You’re a dick. You could have warned me.”

Jack chuckled. “Where’s the fun in that? Besides, she sprang it on me after you guys left. It was a pretty sudden decision.”

“As if things aren’t weird enough already between you two.” Daniel said shaking his head.

“You’re telling me.” Jack said, wondering how the guy Sam had been dating took hearing she was missing.

“I still don’t get why they are doing all this. There are tons of orphans out there. People could adopt.” Daniel grumped.

Jack sighed. “People do it in our country too. Adopt an overseas baby so the parents can never come for it.” Jack’s expression was pained.

“That’s…” Daniel looked horrified.

“Self-centered and cruel? Yup.” Jack agreed with disgust.

Daniel shook his head. “Just be careful.”

Jack nodded. “It almost doesn’t matter. Janet was pretty sure Sam might not be able to get pregnant anyway.”

Daniel gave Jack a sharp look. “Why would you know that in particular?”

Jack sighed. “It came up. She was devastated by it and the Tok’ra confirmed they didn’t know of any former hosts that had later given birth… but given their ages I don’t think they were still fertile. The only one who might have been chose to remain alone so there’s no way of telling.”

“Jack? Has there been more going on than…?” he flipped his hand vaguely.

“Than making out at night after you guys pass out? No. We haven’t crossed the line if that’s what you’re asking.” Jack felt comfortable talking about this because the bus was loud and the guards sat at the ends so as long as you behaved no one paid attention to you and you couldn’t hear the conversations in front of or behind you well even with effort.

Daniel nodded. He really did understand. They were in an impossible situation. Sam and Jack loved each other long before the armband incident. They had always been discreet about it or thought they were. There was nothing outright inappropriate about their behavior and Hammond was clearly looking the other way as long as they both remained professional on the job.

“Have you told Sara?” Daniel finally asked.

Jack looked at him oddly but understood. Sara did have a right to know on a certain level and she had asked him about Sam after he got back and explained the Unity incident as well as he could without making her sign a 312 but he’d hedged at the time not realizing doing so gave his ex-wife more clues than had he laughed it off. She’d patted his hand in understanding though. She knew Jack wouldn’t compromise Sam’s career willingly unless Sam chose to herself. “She ah… kind of figured it out, yah.”

“You have a thing for women that are smarter than you.” Daniel said amused.

“Cute.” Jack said in a tone that ended the conversation.

* * *

“Danny heard us last night.” Jack told Sam as she cuddled on his shoulder.

She snorted in amusement. “Hearing us was the point.” She reminded him.

“Yap.” Jack agreed. “Apparently he doesn’t sleep as deeply as we thought either.”

Sam’s eyes went wide. “Oh.”

Jack chuckled. “I think if he was going to tattle, Carter, he would have by now.”

Sam was quiet for a bit.

“Are we okay?” He asked, concerned about her long silence.

Sam sighed and tightened her arm around his chest. “We should probably um… you know, every couple of days or so.” She told him.

“I just want you to know, Carter…” He leaned into her so there was zero chance even a listening device could hear and lowered his voice as far as it would go. “If I’d really been making love to you, it would have gone on a lot longer and you would have done more than a little moaning.”

“Jack!” She yelped at him as her face and chest flamed bright red.

But his only reply was Jack’s chuckles until she swatted him repeatedly until he flipped over and pinned her under him.

“Want me to prove it?” He growled seductively at her and was rewarded by her eyes dilating and her hips unconsciously pressing into his only to discover he was more than ready to follow through with his threat.

Sam fought with herself on this. On the one hand… she did want him. They could argue they had no choice in the matter given the circumstances. Sooner or later, they were going to examine her and discover Jack had never penetrated her. At that point, Sam wasn’t sure what would happen. Would they force them to copulate or give her to someone else who would be willing to force her?

Jack made the decision for her though by rolling back to his usual position and tucking her head into his shoulder. “Get some sleep, Carter. That’s an order.” He told her. His voice rough with longing.

Sam lay there a long time though, listening to Jack’s breath even out then his soft familiar snoring. Eventually it’s comforting familiarity pulled her into sleep as well.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Sam looked around the table in curiosity. For the most part, most of the women seemed happy. But Sam noticed there was a marked difference with the women who did not have a permanent partner. A few of the women in a partnership looked unhappy, of course… she and Jack had heard them being forced to have sex. The other women had explained that the women who didn’t want to stay with those men would be sent to a different cell in the next round. They were not given a choice about who picked them but they were not required to go back once a pregnancy was confirmed and each had confirmed they would not when Sam asked.

The only women who were genuinely miserable were the ones being forced by random men every night. Sometimes more than once. Sooner or later, Teal’c was going to lose it on one of those guys. Sam just knew it and had told Jack so.

“Danny and I will stay on top of it, Carter. I know how he is too. With any luck we’ll figure out how to get out long before someone hurts one of those girls physically.” Not that rape didn’t hurt too but most of that pain was psychological. There was nothing any of them could do about that. Jack had thought bitterly.

It did appear at least, that a claimed woman was left alone by the other men. Like one of those shock experiments on monkeys, even prisoners who never saw the guards kill someone for taking a woman who wasn’t available things were enforced.

A few weeks later though one of the other women working with Sam from another unit was telling her that one of the women in her unit had been thrown unceremoniously back into the rotation pool because her partner was impotent. That he’d be allowed to pick from one of the infertile women if he liked but because she was able to carry a pregnancy to term they wouldn’t let her stay with the man that had chosen her.

Sam wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Her infertility issues didn’t tend to show up on standard tests. They would assume as everything looked all right that she was fine. Janet had told her reluctantly as she’d not wanted to get Sam’s hopes up, that she might actually be all right and the Tok’ra were making unfounded deductions on bad data. A harcesis, after all, wouldn’t be possible if being a host specifically made you infertile. But Janet’s body language indicated she didn’t really believe that.

She supposed she’d find out eventually. None of them had found a chink in the wall to exploit yet. Not even Jack who had the most opportunity to do so.

After a while, several of the couples got interestingly unconventional about how they handled their relationships. Some by having sex in full view of others. Some by agreeing to switch partners for the night which the guards didn’t seem to have any problem with as long as no one got physically hurt and everyone consented. Two couples switched permanently.

A couple of the men brought in one of the unattached women to their bed with their current partner and on occasion an unattached man was invited to a couple’s bed as well. Sam suspected this was to hide one or both the men being gay. She could be wrong of course. Some women enjoyed simultaneous partners.

* * *

Predictably examinations went from ‘how often do you have sex’ to ‘lie back so we can examine you’. Sam was right. Any fertility issues she had didn’t show up on a standard scan. That evening Jack was ordered to the examination rooms to have his own checkup. Sam would have laughed at how comically traumatized Jack was by the idea of a fertility test had the situation been less unfunny.

That night he held her gently. They had, of course, found nothing wrong with either of them. “We aren’t the only couple not pregnant yet without fertility issues Carter. I don’t think we have anything to worry about yet.”

They had taken to talking in code. She knew he hadn’t found anything useful yet by that comment. Sam was terrified of actually succeeding at getting pregnant then having to release her child to some unknown couple living who knows where. “Jack… if I don’t get pregnant eventually, they might separate us.”

“They seem to do that more if the guy is out of commission. I assure you my swimmers are working great.”

Sam snorted a small laugh. “Jack…”

He tilted her chin so she was looking in his eyes. “I won’t let anyone hurt you Sam.”

“You might not have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice. It might not be one I like but there’s a choice.”

Sam looked at him perplexed.

“If it comes down to that… or that other thing…” Jack was unable to finish.

“Jack, if it has to… you have consent. I’d rather it be you than some random man I don’t know.” She told him.

“But what about…” Jack asked.

“Pete? It was only a couple dates, Jack. It wasn’t anything serious.”

Jack nodded worriedly. He’d rather it be him anyway but dammit, their first time was supposed to be special not forced on them like this. It should have involved a nice dinner and staring into each other eyes and been slow and magical. While he’d been lost in worry, Jack noticed Sam had fallen asleep on his shoulder. This stupid mission was going to ruin everything. Eventually he’d be forced to force her, leading to one or both of them being court-martialed minimally, probably kicked down a rank for both of them. Jack would probably be kicked out entirely. He scrubbed his hand down his face in frustration. It wasn’t fair. They had waited, not broken the rules regardless of their feelings… and now they were going to be forced to or Sam was going to be raped by random men instead. He had to find a way out of this place. He had to find it soon.

* * *

Soon, however, did not come soon enough and Sam was called back in for an examination when she once again wasn’t pregnant for the fifth month in a row. They had been prisoners for seven months. Many of the women in their unit were pregnant. A couple were starting their third trimester. Only a handful of women were still childless. Most of them were ones that had a baby previously and had permission to skip a pregnancy for a year for whatever reason. The facility did have the means to prevent pregnancy in the women who they were choosing not to, as babies are more profitable than just happy prisoners.

When Sam was confirmed not pregnant again, she was told to undress and lie down. The examination this time would be more through. They gave her a sort of gown she supposed and told her to put it on. Sam’s heart hammered in her chest. They had never made her undress before. This could be a regular OB type visit or it could be something else and it was that something else that Sam worried about.

* * *

Unknown to Sam at the time, on the other side of the facility where the men got on their work buses for the day, the guards were singling out Jack on the platform.

“Hey, you got the wrong guy. I do my job and go back to my cell. Ask the foreman.” He objected, his hands up.

“Follow us.” He was ordered by the guards and Daniel gave him a worried look as Jack was led away.

Several moments later, he was alone in an examination room and was being asked multiple questions about his sex life with Sam. Some of them fairly invasive. Several of them rather insulting.

In the room, Sam was in her feet were on supports and a doctor was examining her and writing something in an electronic tablet. He calls in a couple other doctors who also examine her.

“Are you unsatisfied with your partner?”

“What? No… no he’s fine.”

“There is no indication of sexual activity. At what point did you cease copulation?”

“Uh… Um… That is…” Sam hedged.

One of the doctors nodded his head at an unseen person above Sam and one wall of the examination room disappeared. She was only moderately startled that Jack stood there in an examination gown himself. She started to put her feet down but one of the doctors pressed her bare foot back into the support.

Jack looked like he was going to be sick. His first view was of Sam in nothing but an examination gown with several men gathered around her casually discussing she showed no sign of penetration.

In the next breath, they were discussing the possibility they had another impotent male to deal with.

“I’m not. We just haven’t been…” Jack trails off when he realizes he blurted that out.

“If you do not find this female sexually satisfying, we will assign you a new one.”

Jack looked at Sam in panic. “What happens to her if I do that?” Jack could realistically just not sleep with someone else the same way. He refused to give them a child to sell.

“She will be returned to the open pool for your unit.” One of the doctors said reasonably.

Sam gave Jack a panicked look. That meant any man could force her on any given night. It meant her never being safe.

“Sir!” She said to him sharply.

“Carter.” His voice was filled with anguish. “I…”

“Sir, I gave you consent.” She reminded him. They would just have to try really hard to avoid pregnancy.

Two of the doctors pulled him over to stand in front of her. It had to be humiliating, Jack thought, having your CO stare at your exposed genitals while other men watched. “Could we at least be alone? You can examine her after… to prove I…” Jack felt more and more traumatized by the idea that he was going to violate her like this.

The doctors though nodded and filed out… but there was an audible click of the lock when they left.

Jack gently lowered Sam’s legs and pulled her gown down. “Carter… I can’t rape you. I can’t.”

“Sir… it’s not rape. I gave consent.” She reminded him.

“Sam, it’s rape and we both know it!” He snarled and shoved his hands into his hair.

Sam pulled his hands down and stared him down. “Jack! We don’t have any choice. It’s you or literally anyone else that wants a go. Please sir. Please don’t put me in that position. If it has to be someone…” She put her hands on his cheeks. “Please, Jack?”


	6. Chapter 6

“Please, Jack?”

Jack pulled her into his arms convulsively and hugged her. “I will get us home Sam. I swear.” He promised her.

“I know you will and this will buy us some time to do that.”

Jack sighed and nodded against her shoulder. “All right… I guess just lie back and think of someone hot.” He joked lamely.

Sam gave him a funny look. How did he not know she wanted him too? “I have the perfect man in mind.”

“Cool… just uh… don’t tell me if it’s Daniel. I’m not sure I can take that.” He half joked which made her giggle. “Right… so… I guess just… uh... lie back on the table?”

Sam gave him a sad look. He was so afraid of hurting her and she didn’t understand why. She followed his directions and he joined her on the padded examination table.

Once he joined her, his hand settled on the top of her leg. “Ready?” He asked her.

Sam nodded and gave him a reassuring look but Jack closed his eyes as though he was afraid to look at her as his fingers dipped between her legs and gently stroked the soft curls between her legs. Slowly his hand slipped lower and deeper and Sam felt his fingers gently swirl around the folds of her labia then his thumb joined his fingers to gently rub a slow circle around the top of her folds.

Sam let out a soft, surprised moan and his fingers dipped into her and stroked her with the same slow rhythm his thumb was engaging in. She wanted him to kiss her, to touch her but he stayed back a bit as though he was trying to separate himself from the situation somehow. Even so the gentle rhythm of his fingers made her moan with need and press her hips into his hand, wanting more. She could feel how wet and slick she was now. “Jack... please… I’m ready…”

Jack shook his head though, his eyes still closed until Sam said ‘Oh shit” in surprise and shuddered against his hand.

It was only then that he rolled on top of her, positioned himself with his hand, and slid slowly inside her with gentle strokes. When he was finally pressed all the way into her, he looked at her with concern. “Are you all right?” He asked.

Sam nodded. He wasn’t freakishly large but he was certainly big enough to hurt someone if he wasn’t careful or they weren’t ready yet. No wonder he’d been so concerned about hurting her.

Jack took slow careful strokes, not wanting to hurt her but this time Sam closed her eyes, wrapped her legs around Jack’s rear and her arms around his torso, pulling him close.

“Harder.” She moaned at him. She was so close to release again.

“Are you sure?”

Sam nodded convulsively and bucked under him while pressing her nails into his ass, pushing him into her. “Harder.” She moaned.

Jack closed his eyes and ignored the screaming voice in his head telling him this was his second in command, that he had no right to do this to her. That consent or not, this was wrong… and then her nails dug into him again and she moaned his name and he did what she asked and took hard thrusts into her until she cried out and arched under him.

The convulsive rhythmic sensation of her orgasm around him sent him over the edge too and he pulled her tight against him as his hips bucked hard against her with release.

He lay on top of her, cradling her to him as their breathing evened out and their hearts slowed.

“Sam…” He said, regret in his voice. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. This isn’t how…”

“Jack, it’s all right.” She stroked his face until he reluctantly looked at her. “They would have separated us otherwise.”

“Carter… I…”

“No, you didn’t, Jack. You didn’t rape me.” She told him firmly.

“Sam…” His voice broke though and she pulled him against her and held him while he shook with unreleased sobs of anguish.

The doctors had the decency to wait until he’d calmed down before they came in to see both of them sitting on the examination table. Sam with her ankles crossed her expression defiant. Jack looking like he was going to throw up.

“You will be allowed to remain together so long as you continue to share sexual relations with each other.” One of the nameless doctors told them.

Sam glared at them while Jack nodded mutely in defeat.

“You will be examined each week for active sexual contact. Should you once again discontinue relations other decisions will be made for you.” Another doctor said.

Their clothes were returned and the doctors left the room.

Jack just looked at his pile of clothing for a moment and Sam sighed. She’d been right to worry how this would affect him emotionally. The Jack she knew would be making jokes but he felt like he’d violated her and she didn’t know how to prove to him that he hadn’t.

She realized something else… he hadn’t kissed her through the ordeal either and Jack was a kisser. He’d kissed the top of her hair out of simple affection more times than she could count and often late at night after team night had wound down and they were the only ones still up even before they had settled into a pattern of light sexual teasing but not once during their sexual encounter had he kissed her.

Sam got dressed without speaking to him. When he still stood there staring down at his clothing in his hands she reached out and put her hand over his. He startled a little like he’d forgotten she was there. “Jack.” She said softly. “C’mere.” She told him, repeating his often said contraction when he offered her a much needed hug.

Jack sighed and accepted her offer, burying his face in her shoulder and clinging to her. She held him as long as he let her before easing back and looking at her almost sheepishly. Only one of them had gotten dressed after all.

“It’s all right, Jack. We’ll get through this.” She told him and stroked his cheek.

He nodded. What he wanted to say was we need to get the hell out of here before I accidently get you pregnant or we are here so long they take our baby from us. Instead he silently got dressed and they were allowed to leave the medical area.

Jack had gone back to their living area and just stood in the shower long after the timer turned off his access to hot water. Sam had eventually fished him out shivering and dried him off before tucking him into bed and stroking his hair gently. And then she just talked at him about how her day usually went. The kinds of people she interacted with. Little meaningless details about the facility.

The bell had chimed for the evening meal and he gave her a grateful look for just being there for him. He finally got dressed and followed her down to dinner. During the communal meal, Daniel started to ask Jack why he’d been taken out of the work group today but he’d shaken his head and Sam had given Daniel a stern ‘drop it’ look.

Sam pinched Daniel’s thigh at least three times before he took the hint to stop trying to ask Jack what’s wrong. Jack picked at his food then left the table to return back to their room.

When he was finally out of ear shot, Daniel rounded on her. “What the hell happened today Sam? He looks like someone killed his dog.”

“Keep it down.” Sam hissed. She looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. “They brought him back to the facility because they found out Jack and I haven’t been having sex.”

“Shit.” Daniel muttered. “What did they do?”

“They told us we had to or they were separating us and putting me back into the pool.”

Daniel looked horrified. “So his choice was rape you or let someone else rape you.”

“It wasn’t rape. I gave consent and he was gentle.”

“He wouldn’t see it that way Sam. Your options didn’t include ‘none of the above’. He’s just the lesser of two evils in his head.”

“I know Daniel, but I don’t know how I’m gonna get through to him about that.”

“I don’t think you can Sam.”

“I concur. O’Neill is unlikely to see reason in this matter.” Teal’c told her.

Sam sighed.

“We’ll keep an eye on him as much as we can Sam. Now I wish we’d teamed up.” Daniel told her.

Sam shook her head. “I don’t think working in the lab with me would help in this case.”

Teal’c nodded agreement.

“I think I’ll turn in and go check on him.”

“If nothing else, the threat of someone else touching you will keep him from doing something really stupid.” Daniel told Sam.

Sam gave him a long look. It was only a few short years ago that Daniel had convinced Jack that his life could still have meaning after the death of Charlie. None of them had any illusions that Jack dealt with self-blame driven grief any better now than he had before. Sam squeezed Daniel’s shoulder before she left. He alone had seen Jack at his very worst. Closed off. Dead inside because he felt so much pain he couldn’t process it.

Sam found Jack lying on his back on their bed, staring up in what looked like a catatonic state. She sat down carefully on the edge of the bed but Jack didn’t react. She took a deep breath and huffed it out her nose before taking his unresisting hand.

“Sir… I know you’re upset and I certainly understand why but we need to work past this for now and come up with a game plan. I’ve been thinking. They said they would check me. So it probably makes sense for us to engage each other about once a week for appearances and just skip the week I’m ovulating.”

“How are you planning on doing that?” He finally asked her bitterly.

“We’d have to be very careful but I know my cycle and I know my body changes when I ovulate. It shouldn’t be too hard to avoid um… physical activity… for quite a while sir.” She said, not realizing removal of her depo shot had made her cycle unstable.

“And when they figure that out?”

“Well, that’s why we should try to get as close to without an accident as we can… as long as we are fairly regular most of the time you could just say you were too tired that night or something.” She suggested.

“That easy, huh?”

“No, Jack it’s not that easy but it’s all we have to work with so could you at least try to handle this so I don’t have to…” and her voice finally choked at the idea of someone touching her against her will.

It motivated Jack to sit up and pull her into a hug. “I’m sorry Carter. I’m being a selfish bastard.”

She shook her head as she wrapped her arms around him. “I know how hard this is for you sir. I’m sorry you’ve been put in this position. Maybe it might have been better if Daniel had— “

“No.” Jack said firmly.

She pulled back and gave him a startled look but he pulled her back into a hug. “It’s bad enough it’s me… after Hathor, I don’t think Daniel could handle this.” He explained… unwilling to admit the very thought of the woman he’s in love with sleeping with his best friend for safety made bile rise in his throat. If he had to listen to them too because the walls weren’t all that thick after all, well… She thought he was a mess right now…

Jack scrubbed his hands into his hair. “If you think that will work for a while we’ll give it a shot.”

Sam shrugged. “It’s all I’ve got right now sir.”

Jack nodded. “You let me handle this when we get home. I wasn’t going to get much higher anyway but you have a shot at some stars so… just let me handle this.”

Though it was obvious to Sam, Jack didn’t seem to realize Hammond had been grooming him for command for years. Or if he did, he didn’t think he’d be able to overcome the plethora of official reprimands in his past from other commanding officers.

Sam looked at him. She wanted to tell him over her dead body was she going to let him be punished alone for being forced into this situation. Jack was more of a victim than she was in this. She’d given him consent but he’d been forced to perform or live with sacrificing her. She knew how this was tearing at him. Daniel and Teal’c at least understood. Would stand with her when they put Jack on trial. And if Kinsey and his loyal followers had their way, there would be a trial… and news coverage if they could manage it. Anything they could do to discredit Jack after what he failed to pull off last time and Jack had shoved his rather large boot in the man’s ass.

And that was the end of the discussion for a while until things boiled over finally one night.

It had started with the nightmares in retrospect. Jack would put off having sex with her until the nightmares started again. Each time it was one of two dreams. He either relived the events that forced him to sexually assault one of his best friends or worse… he’d dream that the men in the unit had discovered he and Sam weren’t having sex and come at him trying to pull her away so they could all rape her themselves.

He’d wake up in a panic or thrash in the bed, clutching at Sam until she’d wake him up and he’d roll over on top of her. She never resisted and he always made sure to be gentle to make sure she was ready… but the nightmares didn’t stop until he stopped putting off having sex with Sam regularly.

After that, every few days Jack engaged Sam sexually but he didn’t kiss her or hold her and afterwards he got up, washed himself and lay on the bed facing away from her, unable to face her after what he’d done. Initially it was only nights they had sex that he acted that way but after a few weeks he avoided her physically every night. He withdrew from her almost entirely emotionally and it finally reached the point that it was making Sam a nervous wreck during her lab duties.

“Miss Carter!” The manager snapped at her when she dropped a vial of fluid on the ground.

“Sorry, ma’am.” Sam said with a wince and got the biohazard pan to clean it up. Most of them were pregnancy tests so there was more than one vial but still. She’d inconvenienced one of the other women with her stupid mistake. Thankfully, they hadn’t put her on tech development. Sam wasn’t sure how well she’d manage trying to make ‘honest mistakes’.

Sam quietly observed Jack over their evening meal. He was more withdrawn than he used to be in general. Part of it she knew was their inability to find any effective escape plan that wouldn’t get other prisoners hurt or have a less than fifty percent chance of success but much of it was he hated being in the situation he was in. Currently, he was being short with Daniel which while not unusual was happening more and more frequently. He’d speak to her if she asked him a question directly but otherwise he talked around her which was getting him a side eye from Teal’c more and more.

They had stopped having nightly debriefings and gone to only doing it if one of them had new info to add which hadn’t happened in some time. Daniel had finally said what they were all thinking about a week ago. That they may have to wait until the current group was broken up to find a way out.

That night Jack undressed, seemed to debate with himself, then rolled over on his side away from her.

Sam’s eyes narrowed in ire. She understood that he was struggling with this but he was making her feel like crap in the process. She got up and grabbed the single chair in their room and turned it to face the bed before sitting down.

“What?” He finally asked, his tone half between a snarl and a panicked yelp.

“Sir… I don’t like the situation we’ve been forced into any more than you do.” Sam took a deep settling breath. She needed to just come right out and say it. “But you’re making it worse by doing exactly what bothered you about it in the first place.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” His movements were agitated.

“You’re treating me like a whore, sir.” She said flatly.

Jack’s look was stricken and Sam immediately regretted her words.

“When we were just friends… before we had to… have sex, you treated me like your friend. But since this…” her hand flipped between them vaguely, unconsciously mimicking his gestures. “You have been pushing me away emotionally to protect yourself and it’s gone far past not being affectionate Jack. You’re being rude and you’re treating me as if… as if I was a…” Sam couldn’t say the word.

Jack’s eyes had gone wide. Where the hell was this coming from? He was trying to protect her emotionally from mistaking their forced sex as anything but a task. It was the only way he could handle being with her and have any chance of going back to just colleagues, just friends later. “Carter… we can’t get emotionally involved over this.”

“Jack, we were emotionally involved long before we ended up here. The least you could do is respect me enough as a friend not to treat me like a fuck.” She told him firmly.

“What?!” He did what she asked during. Went slower or harder, made sure she was turned on and ready for him so he didn’t hurt her, what the hell was she talking about.

“Jack, you haven’t just hugged me because I’m your friend in weeks. You haven’t touched me at all except during…” She struggled to just say it. “At first I didn’t notice that was what was bothering me… I’ve never paid attention to how much you touch people that you care about until you stopped doing it.”

“I do?”

She nodded slowly. “Jack, you’re a very physically demonstrative person… I never thought I’d be jealous of you hugging Daniel but I was yesterday because you haven’t hugged me in weeks and I’m probably the one person that actually needs a hug from you the most right now.” She admitted with a small sniffle she tried to hide.

“Aw crap…” Jack closed his eyes in obvious painful shame at his actions. “I’m sorry Carter, I’ve been trying so hard to keep some kind of distance between what we have to do and how I feel that I didn’t realize I’d started doing it all the time.”

She nodded absently, not looking at him. “I know Jack, but…” Sam sighed. “It makes me feel cheap.” She admitted.

Jack sat up and looked at her thoughtfully. He’d been worried about his own feelings… and failed to consider Sam’s. He’d made her a stranger in her own bed and he felt like a class A asshole for it. “Sam… you know it’s not that I don’t…” He trailed off.

She looked at him thoughtfully. “We can’t be together because of our ranks sir… but Sam is Sam and Jack is Jack and they don’t have to be Colonel and Major… Especially considering we’ve been MIA for nearly a year.” Sam bit her lip, hoping he understood what she was trying to get at.

Jack was thoughtful for a long time. His feelings were definitely in the way here… but… so were hers. Could it be as simple as to just let themselves be together for now and figure things out later? He was probably going to lose his commission over this anyway as it stood so what good did it do him to push her away?

“Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes?” He asked.

“Let’s start with impulse speed, Captain.” She said with an amused little smile.

“That doesn’t speak well of my habits with women.” He pointed out.

“I was thinking more Captain Archer.” She said with a dimpled smile.

“Who?”

Sam snorted in amusement and bit her lip. “It’s not important.”

“So what exactly are we doing here?” Jack asked with a small concerned frown.

“How about we treat this like friends with benefits for now Jack? It’s um… not really that far off from where things were before anyway.” She hedged.

Prior to their unexpected capture during an op, they had been periodically casually making out. Never going entirely over the line but said line had gotten extremely bleary after the mind stamp and the arm bands and then being forced to admit how they feel about each other and especially nearly drowning together inside a ship. That had been what finally burst the dam. All the pent of stress of losing Daniel then almost dying in such a stupid way. It was a wonder Jacob hadn’t found them in a compromising position on their way back. It didn’t occur to either of them that Jacob knew exactly how his daughter and her commander felt about each other and gave them some much needed privacy at the time.

Jack pondered the idea of friends with benefits for a moment and nodded then patted the bed beside him.

Sam smiled at him, relieved, and climbed in, then wrapped her arms around him, tucking her chin against his shoulder,. Once she settled though, he held her close for a few minutes before he tilted her chin from his shoulder and gave her a lingering kiss.

“Missed this.” He murmured against her mouth as he slowly slid his fingers up her side under her loose sleep shirt. “Missed you.” He assured her as his fingers deftly stroked a nipple and squeezed it a little as he gave it a tug, eliciting a moan from deep in her throat. His lips claimed the column of her neck and he grazed his teeth lightly just behind her ear.

“Jack.” She said in a slow throaty moan. 

“Tell me what you want Sam.” He said against her neck.

“I want you.” She told him softly as her hands slid down his back and squeezed his well-muscled rear.

Jack chuckled. “You’re sure about this?” His warm chocolaty eyes furrowed in questioned.

“No matter what we do at this point Jack, things will change when we go home. I don’t want that change to be losing your friendship.” She told him and gave him a gentle kiss. He gives her a smug little smile that makes her laugh. “Ok, well and that too.”

“Just so long as we agree.” He said, his grin broadening. “Poor Daniel. We should probably at least try to be quiet.”

Sam snorted out a giggle. “I think it’s too late for that. He stopped looking traumatized a few weeks ago.”

“Ew.” Jack joked and nuzzled her chest.


	7. Chapter 7

Things went more or less back to normal at that point. Daniel and Teal’c noticed immediately that Jack was no longer sullen and broody on the rides to work in the morning.

“So what happened?” Daniel asked Jack.

“About what?” Jack asked in false confusion.

“About your estranged relationship with Samantha, O’Neill.” Teal’c said pointedly.

“Ah… everything’s fine.” Jack hedged.

“There was an awful lot of giggling last night after they went to bed.” Daniel informed Teal’c.

“I was unaware O’Neill giggled, Daniel Jackson.”

Jack slunk lower in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest as he pouted a little. “Is this really necessary?” He grumped.

“We have been very concerned about your emotional state, O’Neill.”

“I appreciate the concern big guy but Sam and I are fine.” He assured Teal’c.

“That is good to know.” Teal’c said pleasantly.

“So what happens when we get home?” Daniel finally asked.

Jack sighed. “Oh, I probably get carted off to the brig for my big date with a tribunal for compromising my second in command.”

“Well that’s just ridiculous. You were both forced Jack.”

“I know that.” Jack snapped at him.

“Well, don’t think I’ll lie and tell them you consented because you went out of your way to not do it.” Daniel said with a peeved huff.

“Thanks Danny.” Jack said with a bemused smile. “I appreciate the support.”

Daniel waved vaguely in dismissal. It was a stupid rule anyway in his opinion but more so that neither could say no unless Sam wanted to be raped by random strangers.

Jack and Sam were a little shy with each other after that. Not quite certain how to handle having given each other permission to care but Jack at least was no longer sullen and a bear to be around and Sam was no longer shredding her lower lip, biting it with worry non-stop.

But their sex life was almost tentative. They knew they still had to engage each other sexually every few days as the medical staff was checking her to ensure they hadn’t stopped again… and if Jack was honest with himself, he enjoyed the feel of her. Enjoyed holding and kissing her after even more… it was bringing up the topic that was a bone of contention for a couple weeks until she turned him down to avoid getting pregnant. By the time she gave him the ‘all clear’, he was almost rough with her and she responded in kind, urged on his aggressive desire to claim her body.

After they lay panting and sweaty, Sam started to giggle a little.

“What?” He asked in confusion.

“Well…” she snickered. “We went years wondering what having sex with each other would be like.”

He hummed. That wasn’t entirely true but the one incident didn’t count because they had been hopped up on chemicals and the other times had been more like aggressive making out as it was too cold to remove their clothing to any degree. They had never willingly genuinely consummated their feelings, fully aware of their actions before. “You have a hickey.” He said finally.

“Where?”

“Here.” He said with an amused smile and purposely gave her one just above where her work uniform would cover it.

“Jack!” She said laughing but squirmed against him, anyway, knowing it would just turn him on more.

He kissed her slowly. “So after my court-martial, wanna get married?” He asked her flippantly.

“Jack?” Her eyes went wide.

“I mean no is okay, we could shack up.”

Sam squeaked in surprise. “You’re serious.” It wasn’t a question.

Jack made an exasperated face. “Ok, you were right about us being compromised before already. They’re probably going to push us out for how we feel about each other anyway, Sam…”

“What if the condition of us not losing our positions is we can’t be together?”

Jack looked deep in her eyes. “Then I’ll retire.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” He agreed and claimed her mouth again.

“No regrets?” She asked, pulling back slightly, concern in her eyes.

“Not even one… okay... one… I should have done it three years ago when I realized how I feel about you.” He admitted.

“Jack, we both know our duty to save everyone from the Goa’uld came first for both of us. You don’t have to retire. We can wait a while longer.”

Jack sighed though. “What if it never ends Sam? What if no matter how hard we try, the Goa’uld just keep coming until the next crop of kids takes our places.”

She looked at him thoughtfully. “Well… the thing is, Jack… I’m okay with just being very discreet about things. I’ll miss falling asleep with you, holding you… but… it’s still more than we had before.” She said, thinking about their long looks of understanding and frustration.

“So… we just act professional and pretend we aren’t ripping each other’s clothes off in our down time?”

“Something like that.” She agreed with a smile and nuzzled his neck. “We’ll figure something out, Jack.” Her fingers squeezed his rear and she raked him with her fingernails lightly enough to be erotic instead of painful. “Think of it like an undercover mission.”

Jack chuckled. “Why didn’t I think of that years ago?”

“You didn’t ask my opinion.” She told him and wiggled against him suggestively.

“For future reference, it is _always_ okay to make sexual suggestions to me Sam. Especially undercover ones.” Jack wiggled his eyebrows, making Sam laugh.

“Duly noted… sir.” She said with a smirk. Calling him sir while they lay together made his reaction to that word on her lips abundantly clear. She giggled a little when he shifted to a more comfortable position.

“Fine… if I admit you calling me sir while we’re naked turns me on, will you hold it against me?”

Sam giggled helplessly at that.

Jack grinned. In spite of their current situation, some good had come of this. They would have gone on indefinitely ignoring their mutual feelings without being forced to compromise or have a discussion and would have hurt each other terribly. They had to get out of here first… but they would figure out a way to make this work… somehow.

The next morning they were completely relaxed with each other and Daniel and Teal’c gave them knowing looks which made both Jack and Sam pointedly take great interest in their breakfast to the exclusion of everything else… but his hand crept under the table to squeeze her leg as he cut his eyes to her and gave her an amused little smile before going back to eating.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack woke from his pleasant dream about making love to Sam to find her straddling his hips and rocking against him. “Sam?” He frowned. It wasn’t like her to aggressively take advantage of him in his sleep. “Everything all right?”

She looked down at him, her eyes dark with need. “I couldn’t sleep.” She admitted, still sliding herself up and down him, clearly as aroused as he was.

He drew her down and kissed her while he stroked her skin, caressed her breasts. She wasn’t acting like herself entirely but she didn’t kiss him with wild desperation like she had with the virus a few years ago, just urgent physical need. Even after he could no longer hold back and wait for her, she continued riding him until he took one of her taut nipples in his mouth and sucked hard as he grabbed her hips and ground her against him.

Her moan as her body finally shook with release was low, almost guttural. She settled on his chest in exhausted relief and he stroked her back gently. In a few moments he realized she’d fallen asleep without having disengaged. Not that it mattered but he lay there with a concerned frown on his face. What’s going on with you Carter, he wondered?

Yesterday she’d accosted him in the shower. Something he suspected she’d probably be comfortable with in the privacy of home but this place didn’t really have any way to keep someone from barging in.

The next morning on the ride to their workstations, Daniel looked at Jack oddly. “What’s going on?” He finally asked Jack.

Jack who had sat there silently lost in thought, pondering Sam’s strange behavior, blinked a couple times. “What?”

“He asked you what is the matter, O’Neill.” Teal’c provided, also concerned for his friend’s pensive behavior.

Jack just shook his head though, trying to clear his thoughts. He couldn’t see how. They had been very careful.

“Jack… Is Sam all right?” Daniel finally asked, knowing few things troubled his best friend more than something being wrong with Sam.

“Huh? Yah.. yah, everything is fine. No problems.”

“Soooo...” Daniel wagged his hands alternately, indicating Jack needed to elaborate.

“I think she’s pregnant.” Jack said softly, finally voicing his concerns out loud.

“Has she said she is?” Daniel asked.

“No… They only test the girls once a month, all at the same time and it’s a few weeks off yet.”

“So why do you think she’s pregnant? I mean other than you two go at it like love starved rabbits all the time.”

Jack colored a bit at that. He’d mentally tuned out that you could hear everyone all night and that Daniel would know their voices over that of other couples making love. “Sorry about that.” Jack said, with a little bit of a grin because he wasn’t genuinely sorry.

“O’Neill, you are not genuinely sorry.” Teal’c pointed out but Daniel waved at him dismissively. It didn’t matter.

“Jack?”

Jack huffed. “If she finds out I told you this, she’s going to kill me so keep your yap shut, Danny.” He gives Daniel a very pointed look. “Sam is enthusiastic but not usually the aggressor. Not… not like this.” Her being a little late was nothing new. Her cycle wasn’t very stable when she wasn’t on birth control. Either Sam had forgotten or hadn’t noticed the change with one day bleeding into the next here.

Daniel waited, Jack might elaborate or he might leave it to their collective imaginations.

“This morning she woke me up from a dead sleep for sex… except I’m not sure she cared if I woke up for it or not.” He said, seemingly lost in thought. “It’s not the first time. During the last few weeks, she’s done something like that a couple of times. The last time I remember anyone being that aggressive with me was Sara when she was pregnant.”

“Still… that’s not proof, Jack.” Daniel tried to assure him. Perhaps Sam was just dealing with pent up frustration. Try as they might, none of them had found a way to get all of them out of here together.

“No… no it’s not… but if she is…” Jack looked away with sudden pain in his expression. “I can’t lose another kid, Danny.” Jack’s voice had gone hollow and Teal’c put a reassuring hand on Jack’s shoulder.

“Should Major Carter be with child we will endeavor to protect them from being taken. Should we fail… I will not rest until your child is returned to you, O’Neill.” Teal’c told him.

“Thanks T… I appreciate it.”

“I’m with the big guy on this one, Jack. We aren’t going to let them just take your kid. Not after what you already went through… The bigger question is what happens when we get home?”

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’m going to hope those favors the country owes us buy my retirement and minimal repercussions for Sam.” He said.

“You guys aren’t at fault anyway. You were victimized and forced. The only reason things are the way they are is because there’s nothing else you can do about it anyway.” Daniel told him.

Jack didn’t say anything though. Yes they had been forced but their agreement had led to at least physical honesty with each other. He loved being able to make love to Sam whenever he wanted and it was going to be hard to give that up if that became a condition of her not being forced out of the Air Force when they returned home.

What he really wanted when they got home was to talk her into marrying him. He was ready to retire anyway and had told her so. His knee couldn’t take much more field work and she had the chance to earn her stars if she stayed in. And wouldn’t that be something. General Samantha Carter.

Cutting into Jack’s thoughts, Daniel spoke. “Jack… if you can only get you and Sam out… Teal’c and I can take care of ourselves until you can launch a rescue mission.” Daniel told him.

Jack looked at them and Teal’c nodded. “Samantha’s well-being is our current top priority if she is indeed with child, O’Neill.”

Jack frowned but nodded a bit. “You’re sure?”

“We are certain.” Teal’c said. Jack could see the look of determination on both their faces. They all knew Sam was the irreplaceable member of their team.

Jack stuffed down the guilt he was consumed with. He didn’t even know if he was right anyway. Sam showed no other symptoms. She wasn’t tired, wasn’t nauseous, hadn’t had any spotting issues. Nothing. Just an overactive sex drive. But something nagged at him about it as he worked that he couldn’t put his finger on. Something that made him very certain she was defiantly pregnant with his child.

* * *

Two weeks later when he got back from his shift, he was greeted by a miserable looking Sam.

“Carter?” Jack asked her, his voice edged with worry.

She shook her head though and didn’t say much of anything while they ate. Jack considered giving her a much needed hug but she had that look about her that told him if he did she’d burst into tears in front of everyone and Sam hated crying in public.

He ate his dinner discreetly keeping an eye on her. When they were done, he exchanged a look with Teal’c and Daniel who decided to hang out with some of the other prisoners and play cards when Sam said she’d decided to turn in early.

Jack waited for her to get to the housing area before following her.

“It was checkup day.” Daniel said to him quietly.

“Yah… I know.”

“Samantha’s unhappiness could equally be that she too believed herself pregnant with your child and is not.” Teal’c reminded Jack.

“Yah… I figured that one out too. To be honest I don’t know how I feel either way.” He admitted. He hoped she wasn’t… and yet… he hoped she was. Which was idiotic as it endangered her greatly. Jack scowled and headed for their room after Daniel gave his shoulder a squeeze and Teal’c had given him a reassuring nod.

When he reached the room she was curled up on her side facing the wall.

“Carter?” He said softly, slowly approaching her.

“Sir.” She answered miserably but did not move.

Jack sat on the bench that was their bed and put a hand on her shoulder. He didn’t even have to coax her to face him. She rolled over, sat up, and flung herself into his arms and shook with wrenching sobs. Jack held her and murmured reassuring things into her hair as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Finally she scrubbed at her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m being stupid.”

“No you aren’t. What’s wrong?” He still didn’t know if she was pregnant or not or how he’d feel either way about it.

She looked down at her hand that was absently playing with a button on his prison uniform. “Anise was wrong.” She said quietly.

“Ah.” He said and hated himself for the happy flutter in his heart. The timing was just terrible. He shouldn’t want this right now but… ah hell, he’s a selfish bastard and he knows it. The woman he loves is carrying his child in spite of all attempts to prevent said conception and he still wanted this baby with all his heart.

“What are we going to do?” She asked him miserably. They hadn’t found a way out yet.

“We’ll figure something out Carter. I promise.” He had no idea how he intended to implement that promise.

“Jack I’m sorry… I tried… I…”

“Hey… shhh…” He tucked her against him and kissed her hair. “It’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault. There’s a reason Catholics end up with big families.” He reminded her. The rhythm method was the only contraception afforded Catholics traditionally and it frequently failed because sperm could live up to a week and eggs sometimes very stubbornly stayed viable in spite of the supposed 24 hour window. They had both been raised Catholic for the first ten years of their lives anyway. He’d been an only child by circumstance and Sam’s dad hadn’t been Catholic nor home enough to leave her mom perpetually pregnant but he’d bet she had as many childhood friends with five siblings as he did.

He held her until she fell asleep in his arms, still sniffling miserably. His earlier elation had faded. Sam didn’t want this baby. He slid her down gently and stretched out, still holding her and lay there a long time… unhappy with himself for having the stupid desire to be a dad again. If they didn’t get out of here they were going to take his child anyway. If he could get her out in time, she could get an abortion and forget any of this crap ever happened he hoped. He’d go back to being her friend. She’d need him for that. She didn’t need a lover now. Then they wouldn’t force her to do anything anymore or separate them for it. If he couldn’t get her out in time but got her out at all… they might need to have a talk about custody. He was more than happy to take on the position as primary caregiver to their child assuming he wasn’t in jail. Jack didn’t let himself think about what would happen if they didn’t get out in time. When he tried to, bile rose in his throat.

The morning chime rang and Jack was fairly certain he hadn’t slept.

Sam mumbled something and snuggled harder into his chest.

Jack closed his eyes for a moment in pain. Being together had always been a fiction. It was time to get back to reality. “Time to get up Carter.” He told her, patting her arm gently.

Sam blinked, grumbled, and tightened her arm around him.

Jack sighed. At least the prison was lenient with its pregnant residents. As long as they got exercise they were pretty much allowed to show up or not show up for work as they liked so Jack eased himself from under her, tucked her in, and threw on his shirt. He watched her sleep a moment more then left. She was safe here… he supposed.

He went down to breakfast and sat with Daniel and Teal’c with a noncommittal grunt.

“Where’s Sam?”

“Still asleep.” Jack grumbled around his porridge.

“Will she not be late for her duties?”

Jack sighed. “She won’t need to worry about it for a while.”

“Then Samantha is indeed with child?”

“Yup.” Jack said but his voice was disconsolate.

“This is unfortunate.”

Jack nodded. It certainly was. “Nothing much we can do about it now.” He grumbles.

They sit together in silence through the rest of breakfast. Jack broods about his misreading Sam. Daniel worries how this will affect them both emotionally and as a team. Teal’c goes over every last bit of data they had collected about the guards, layout of buildings and anything else he can think of that might help get Samantha and O’Neill to safety.

Their bus ride to their duties is quiet. Sam never did surface before they left for the day and Jack was worried about her. They were all worried about her but he had been the one she’d cried on for hours last night. He’d been the one who hadn’t slept at all, sick in his heart that the woman he loves doesn’t want to be the mother of his child.

He did his job today… such as it was, he spent more time looking around hoping something would come to him. Some way to get out. Some way to save Sam. Even if she doesn’t want this baby… she’s not going to be okay with it being sold either. He hoped. He wasn’t going to be okay with that.

When they got back for the evening meal, Sam was still sulking in their room. Before yesterday, she and the other women would meet the bus at the end of the day to greet their partners. Today, she was absent. Daniel and Jack exchange a look and Jack jogs to the living quarters.

“Carter?” He calls as he runs to find her, but she doesn’t respond. Knowing she has to be in their room, he heads there. Where else would she be?

Sam never answers him though. When he gets there, he finds her curled up on the bed on her side facing the wall. Jack sighs and scrubs his hand through his now dirty hair as he leans on the door frame.

“Carter!” He barks.

She shifts a little but still doesn’t answer him.

Jack shakes his head. “Would you stop it, Carter? We don’t have time for this right now. Did you even eat today?” He demands.

She rolled over and glared at him. “What difference does it make?!”

Jack sighed. ‘Yah yah… I get it… you don’t want this kid Carter.’ He sits down beside her. “Look Carter… I get why you’re mad but you still need to eat.”

Sam’s frown deepened. He’d ask her... then when that didn’t work he’d wheedle… then eventually order her to eat. And not eating wouldn’t mean she miscarried anyway. Starving women in Ethiopia didn’t miscarry.

“Sam… I need you to keep your strength up.” He told her. “Please.”

Sam huffed out a heavy sigh and her shoulders fell.

“Come on, Carter. I hear they made a delicious pot roast tonight.” He grinned at her a little, hoping being charming would work now that she’d stopped being entirely mad at him.

Sam’s stomach rumbled. He was right that she’d not eaten today, now she had their child to consider… even if that child was putting them in even more danger. Since Jolinar, she’d resigned herself to probably never having kids of her own so most of her day had been spent wrapping her brain around the concept that she was going to be a mother soon. And that the father of her baby was her commanding officer who she’d been in love with for several years anyway.

Sam shook her head but sat up. “I….” Her head was down but Jack could still see the miserable expression on her face.

“It’s all right, Carter. I just… I need you to eat something. So you don’t make yourself sick on top of everything else.”

She bobbed her head silently. He was right. Of course he was right. Tactically, pregnant or not, she had to maintain her strength so when they did find an escape she would be ready. Especially now when she had a child to consider. Her hand drifted to her stomach. The Tok’ra had been wrong. Janet had hedged her bets but also told Sam conception for her would be at best difficult. She was almost a different species now. Even so… they had been wrong. She’d had no problem getting pregnant with Jack even when she was trying to avoid getting pregnant at all.

“I’m sorry.” She told him softy. This situation was cruel to him she knew. He’d lost his son, now he had a baby on the way that he most likely did not want at all.

“Come on, Carter. Food.” He coaxed her and put a hand under her elbow.

She let him help her up and they headed back to the dining area for dinner. Daniel and Teal’c had saved them spots and made sure their food was ready as well.

Both gave Jack questioning looks and he shrugged then sighed a little before digging into his food. What was he supposed to say? That Sam’s bright idea of the day was starve their child out?


	9. Chapter 9

Sam didn’t try to starve herself again after that but she was unusually quiet with all of them. She knew Jack had told them the news by the fierce hug Daniel had given her that night and the gentle squeeze Teal’c had given her shoulder. Neither seemed to know quite what to say other than Daniel’s soft whisper during the hug. “It will be all right Sam.”

Of course she knew that was utter nonsense because if they got home she was going to have to explain herself. Especially as added bonus, pregnancy seemed to make her exceptionally horny and while Jack no longer initiated their sexual encounters, he didn’t exactly beat her off with a stick when she needed physical release either. As usual, Jack completely understood but never crossed the line again himself. He was letting her lead this dance and the only reason she could think of was plausible deniability later. It didn’t even occur to her that he thought she didn’t want the baby and that’s why he was just doing whatever he had to do to keep her happy.

As with everything else that had passed between them, Jack honestly didn’t know what else to do. They were both so used to not talking about this at all that neither tried to probe deeper into their relationship or what might be bothering the other and had only discussed their actions superficially. So he just helped her when she needed him to – both in and out of bed, made sure she ate, and lost himself in trying to figure out what he’d missed in forming an escape plan. He was so engrossed in figuring out what he’d missed one afternoon that he almost didn’t notice the scuttlebutt about the Administrator coming for a ‘surprise’ inspection that it seemed some of the guards knew about but that warden Snrell was unaware of. Typically, Snrell kept mostly near his offices far away from the facility itself unless there were new prisoners.

The team had one of their now rare get togethers that night, since there were no new opportunities for escape to explore during the past few months.

“What do you believe his objective is, O’Neill?”

“I wish I knew. All I do know is the guards who were talking and laughing about it in front of me because they think I’m an idiot. They were laughing about how surprised Snrell was going to be. Apparently there’s stuff going on that isn’t supposed to be.

“Like what Jack?” Daniel asked him.

Jack frowned but shrugged. If it was what he thought he’d heard… he and Sam should have been safe just sharing a bed for her safety. That the sex was supposed to be encouraged not compulsory and the women were supposed to be on birth control unless their partner was up for release. Snrell was doing some shady stuff selling babies and the Administrator apparently wasn’t in on the baby factory market as far as anyone knew.

Should be interesting. Perhaps in the confusion, they could figure out a way to slip away. Sam was now several months along but she might still be able to get an abortion if that’s what she really wanted if they could just manage to escape and get home or at least gate to a friendly world as they no longer had their GDOs and their IDC codes would have been long changed after they were pronounced MIA That they had not been found in nearly a year and a half suggested to Jack that Earth assumed they had died months ago. Knowing what a softie George was, he’d have likely retired their team number. Jack really didn’t want to think about it. They would prove they were who they said they were when they got home…

And then Jack had a really horrible thought. What if they had been switched with fakes and that’s why no one went looking for them? What if they were the fakes like those robots… but robots can’t get pregnant so they weren’t robots... and Janet would catch that anyway… clones? Would Janet know clones? Or disguised aliens?

Jack’s head started to hurt.

“Are you all right sir?” Sam asked him.

“Fine... fine… just… thinking out worst case scenarios.”

“Robots.” Teal’c said.

“Clones.” Sam added.

Daniel nodded. “Disguised aliens.”

Jack frowned.

“We know you Jack.” Daniel said with a little smile.

Jack shook his head. “So hopefully there’s enough of a ruckus when the Admin gets here that we can figure out a way to slip away through the bus tunnels.” He pulled on his lip. “We won’t be armed so we will have to be very careful to avoid the guards.”

All three of them nodded in agreement.

“Al right… everyone out. I still need a shower.” Jack grumped.

“That would explain the odor, O’Neill.”

Sam bit her lip and giggled.

“Cute.” Jack rumbled and shooed them out.

After Daniel and Teal’c left, Jack stripped his shirt off and tossed it in the bin. Among other things their enforced confinement had led to an utter lack of modesty on both their parts. Much like a normal couple in the privacy of their own home. “How are you feeling today?” He asked her.

If Sam closed her eyes, she could pretend that was just a normal question about her wellbeing from her lover about their child’s status. Sam didn’t close her eyes. “Still tired all the time but I put a half day in at the lab for something to do.”

“You must be bored out of your mind.” He observed as he tugged his pants down with his back to her.

Sam watched him undress hungrily, flaming her desire for the rangy man in front of her. She knew some of this reaction was the pregnancy hormones talking but a lot of it was just that she had always desired him this way. Charlie had even offered to request her for his team if it would make things easier but then Charlie had died and they never again had dual front line teams.

“You all right?” Jack asked absently when she didn’t answer right away. Seemingly unaware that she was devouring his very trim six with her eyes.

“Yah… I’m just worried if they come through the bus tunnels that the obvious escape route will be blocked.” She said, covering for her wayward thought process.

Jack shrugged and looked over his shoulder. “I figured it was that or you were checking out my ass.” He joked before stepping into the small shower.

Sam stared at him with her jaw hanging open. He did not just seriously accuse her of… well... she had been but still… He wasn’t supposed to _guess_ she’d been doing exactly what she’d been doing.

In a huff, Sam flopped onto the bed and curled up. If she were honest with herself, she’d have admitted she was sulking. The shower turned off and a much better smelling Jack joined her in bed and cuddled against her back. That at least had not changed. He didn’t want this baby from what she could read from his behavior but he still had feelings for her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“I can hear you thinking, Carter.” He mumbled against her back. He’d wrapped his arm around her, his hand splayed across her stomach. If she didn’t know better… but she did so there was no sense in dwelling on it.

“Sorry, sir. Goodnight.”

Jack sighed inwardly. Unless she opened up to him about what was bugging her, he wasn’t much help. But then again, they had rarely discussed their private thoughts and feelings, especially since they arrived on this planet as it was the only mental breathing room they now had. He couldn’t get a clear read on how she felt about the pregnancy… if it was about carrying his kid or being pregnant in general. Was she worried that they might have it ripped from her arms and was afraid to get attached? She was a workaholic but she made a point of making time for Cassie every weekend she was home. She’d be a really good mom if she kept the baby… and if she didn’t want to keep the baby… hell, he’d retire. After all, he’d retired before. Perhaps it was time he did so again. Assuming he’s not in prison.

That was a possibility he wasn’t looking forward to. They would have to admit the circumstances of the conception. And he’d rather sacrifice himself then see Sam suffer for his stupidity and jealous need to be the one that bedded her if it came to that.

Being honest with himself, he knew with zero doubt his reasons had everything to do with his feelings for her. Not because Teal’c is Jaffa and also married. And not to spare Daniel the emotional distress of bedding one of his best friends against his will after he’d been sexually abused by Hathor. No. His reason was how he personally feels about Sam and that was it. That’s all it was. The other stuff was just excuses. Good excuses... but nonetheless just excuses.

Sam’s breathing had evened out and Jack sighed. He felt a soft flutter of movement against his hand. If he could feel the baby, Sam could too. She hadn’t said anything which was telling. It was like she kept trying to forget she’s pregnant. He also noticed that she’d gone back to calling him ‘sir’.

‘I’m sorry little guy’. He thought sadly. ‘I don’t know if you will get to see the outside… and if you do, it might not be the most ideal situation if your dad is in jail and your mom doesn’t really want you. Hopefully with time she’ll change her mind about that… and they might commute my sentence if she decides she doesn’t have time to be a mom or want to be a mom’.

But Jack didn’t hold out much hope of either. Sam wasn’t prone to being mercurial and the likelihood he’d escape sentencing was… low.

* * *

Two days later, the Administrator showed up for the inspection. Snrell hid in his offices after meeting with the man. There had been no shouting or orders. He’d simply walked through the facility, asking calm questions without ever once indicating his opinion on the matter.

The residents of SG-1’s cell unit were eventually herded into the main dining hall where he asked them questions. The guards stood at full attention at each entrance. Jack cursed under his breath. There would be no sneaking out this time.

They stood near the back of the group though, Sam in the middle with Teal’c at her back and Daniel and Jack on either side of her.

The admin’s eyes swept the crowd and landed on them. His eyes did not show any surprise or emotion as he looked at the guards that were closest to them. “You there, bring that group of prisoners here.” He ordered the guard.

SG-1 looked at each other in confusion as they were nudged ungently forward by the guards.

“Load all four of them in the transport.” He said to the guards.

Sam, Jack, Daniel and Teal’c were shackled together and lead out of the prison.

“Well, this is cliché.” Jack said

“No talking.” A guard told him.

“What about whispering?” Jack asked in a loud whisper.

He was rewarded with a poke in the back with a weapon butt.

Jack cut a look to Sam. Could she pick the locks with a distraction?

Sam shook her head imperceptivity. She didn’t have tools to do it.

Jack’s mouth settled into a grim line. ‘I guess we find out what’s next’. He thought in frustration. At least they weren’t in the prison anymore. That was something.

They were shoved into a sort of van Jack supposed and were then forcibly belted into their seats. Then the doors were closed and they sat in the darkness together.

Daniel sighed. “We spent months trying to get out…”

“And we still have no idea if this is out, Danny boy.” Jack reminded him.

“We do not. However, at this junction, any change is an improvement.” Teal’c said.

“Carter?” Jack asked in the dark vehicle. She was the only one who hadn’t expressed an opinion yet.

“Sir, I don’t think we have enough information to make a judgment call.”

Jack smiled in the dark. And that was why he was grooming her for command. She didn’t jump to conclusions. Ever.

It was probably a bit over an hour when the door opened and a driver got into the vehicle. Then the door across from Jack opened and the Administrator climbed in.

“Back to the capitol, sir?” the driver asked. Unconcerned about the prisoners.

“Yes, Fronwis.” He said and the driver started up the vehicle which hummed softly inside.

Watching out the darkened windows, he waited to speak to them until the driver had them away from their escorts on the highway. The Administrator fished something out of his jacket pocket and set it in the drink holder between himself and Jack.

“We may speak freely now. We are far enough away that they cannot see us and they can no longer hear us either.” He gave Jack a very stern look. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?”

Jack was taken aback. “Pardon?”

“Half the damned galaxy is looking for the four of you. The Goa’uld, for obvious reasons. The Lucian Alliance and a few others to ransom you to the highest bidders and your General Hammond has made it quite clear he’d pay a hefty sum for your return as well.”

Jack cut a look to Sam who grinned.

“Now, would one of you like to tell me why you were hiding in my rehabilitation facility?” the man asked them.

Sam, Jack, and Daniel all started talking at once until the man put a hand up. “Stop!” he ordered them.

There was silence in the van for a moment. “You.” He said to Jack.

“We got sucked up in a homeless sweep about a year and a half ago. We’ve been trying to get released since or find a way out but it’s a pretty well guarded facility and Snrell wasn’t the most reasonable guy.”

The Administrator nodded. “I’d ask but I’m certain you would lie.” Jack shot the man a look as if saying ‘why would I tell you anything to begin with, mister?’ “However, You are now in a unique position to explain to me what’s been going on in there.” He prompted.

Jack narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “What is _supposed_ to be going on in there?”

The Administrator looked at Jack, noting he was clearly the leader of the group. “I am very glad you asked as it seems to differ greatly from the current situation.”.

He paused a moment before answering Jack. “The rehabilitation facility is for criminals to learn job skills. As you may have guessed, we also have a homeless problem. It is a very bad habit but some of my people have taken to dumping older children in the streets when they had too many mouths to feed. Most homeless people are also in need of job training and a hand up due to being abandoned at a young age. My plan for the facility was to offer services to both within reason. There would be common areas for the non-violent offenders to mingle with the people in the job training program.

“Those who made emotional connections were welcome to form family units, based on mutual support as opposed to skills or necessity. I’m glad that part is still working at least. The women for their own protection were supposed to be on contraception. Something most of my people openly object to for religious reasons.” He huffed a sigh. “As people were rehabilitated, they were meant to be offered outside work programs and given help setting up a new household including continued contraception services if they so choose. The hope being families would voluntarily choose to only have as many mouths as they could afford to feed.”

He looked thoughtfully at them. Sam was only just starting to show.

“I had no idea that idiot had swept you up with no idea about your identities. Unwritten policy is generally to leave Tau’ri alone as doing so is to our continued long term benefit.”

Jack would have scrubbed at his face if his hands were free. His shoulder raised to do it but his hand is still restrained behind him so it becomes an awkward shrug. “Looks like your buddy decided to turn it into a black market baby factory instead.”

The Administrator frowned. “Elaborate.”

“We were brought in, told to choose a woman if we wanted to. The rules were enforced, once a woman was assigned and no one else challenged you for her, the guards killed anyone that broke the rules... but women that weren’t chosen by a man the first night were free for the pickings to any man that wanted her attached or not.” Jack frowned. “If you picked a woman and weren’t able to or refused to copulate with her, she was put back in the pool when they found out if you couldn’t prove that you could and would follow through.” He ground out.

Behind him, Sam winced, her face stricken. Everything about his tone telegraphed disgust. Was that the reason he didn’t want this child? Because of how he felt about the way it was conceived? Sam’s face flushed with humiliation as she turned away and looked out the window.

“So what happens now?” Jack asked.

“Now all four of you come back to my home until I can secure a ship and get you home.”

“Just like that?” Jack’s tone was incredulous.

The Administrator shrugged. “They aren’t going to retaliate that I took some prisoners because they are running a black market baby factory. I think there needs to be a bit more control over that situation. It might lose money but there are plenty of women that will gladly produce many children for the exchange of a safe place to live. Children they won’t have to raise. But the rape needs to stop.” He said firmly. “The women should be choosing their partners not the other way around. Snrell is a sadistic bastard. He’s not going to have a job much longer... or a life.”

Jack frowned and bobbed his head back and forth in consideration. Death might be too good for the guy but it was a solution. Morally asking women to be rent-a-wombs was a bit sketchy but if there was one thing Daniel had drilled into him… morality in many cultures was subjective. If this society habitually dumped kids on the street they weren’t going to have the moral fortitude to object to exchanging safety for their children. It made bile rise in Jack’s throat that the society treated kids like they were disposable but he recognized the Administrator’s attempts to change that for what they were.

“Why can’t we just leave by the Gate?”

“Gate?”

“Chappa’ai?” Daniel suggested and when he got a blank look, “Astrea Porta?”

“Ah… yes… We haven’t got one.” When he was met with suspicious looks, he put up his hands and his face softened. “Centuries ago, my people buried ours after a great war with the system lords. Our star systems have been free since but as we spread we did discover another in a neighboring system outside our local cluster we eventually became allied with and joined in ruling as well. But with the time it would take to get you there from this planet, we may as well simply take you home.” He told them. “We did not inform your people how large our system was simply because we did not wish to once again attract the system lords. Sadly, instead we have left ourselves open to the Lucian Alliance.”

“And they are?” Jack asked.

“Pirates, criminals… mobsters who have taken power with the defeat of the Goa’ulds. Take your pick. Some can be reasoned with, others not. Many of our people lack education and are easily taken advantage of.”

“So why not work on _that_?” Jack pointed out.

“I assure you, many of us who wish for more than obedience are working on it but there have been so many generations of wage enslavement that many of our people are unable to cope with such changes. It will likely take more than one generation to create the free society we seek. All sudden changes have been met with violence from those that would benefit the most.” He admitted. “It is… as your people say… an uphill battle.”

The Administrator fell silent, After a short time, he finally spoke again. “You will be my guests until I can safely get you offworld. If you wish to go directly home, you may or if you have coordinates for another planet you prefer, that is reasonable also. The Bartok system has no quarrel with the Tau’ri. We do not wish to begin one either. I hope you will accept my sincere apology on the part of my government in this fiasco.”

“If your government has no quarrel with us, why not drop us off at the nearest government facility so we can hitch a ride home?” Jack asked the dark skinned man.

The administrator nodded. “That would be logical on the surface but having just discovered my rehabilitation facility has been taken over in my absence, I am wary of potentially discovering my place of employment has also been as well.” He smiled tightly. “I want all of you returned home safely to avoid any sort of interplanetary incident.

“I know you were last seen on Orbistus. Your people, of course, came and looked for you several times but because my government never properly processed any of the records for the rehab center, there was no record of you being there. I imagine many of those picked up in homeless sweeps are not recorded properly.” He said thoughtfully, clearly frustrated that he’d have a lot of mopping up to do. “They probably figured no one cared about any of them. They wouldn’t technically be wrong. It’s why we targeted them for the work program specifically.” He sighed. “We have arrived at my home. Once inside, I will have your restraints removed. Please do me the extreme courtesy of not murdering me the first chance you get.”

“No promises.” Jack tells the other man.

“Duly noted.” He gives Jack an amused smile. “I intend to trust you considerably more than you trust me. Your team has a reputation.” He said with a bit of a grin. “A deadly one… but also an honorable one.”

Jack found himself grinning back. Daniel rolled his eyes. Jack had found himself a kindred spirit.

The van rolled to a stop and they sat in silence for a moment. When the door opened, it was the Administrator’s armed guards. They stepped away so the Administrator could exit the vehicle then Jack and his team were unbelted before being led into the house. The Administrator apparently knew the SG-team would not react negatively to their current treatment as no weapons were currently pointed at them.

He leads them to a spacious office and the guards are left outside though the driver follows them in and closes the door firmly.

“Now then…. I know your names but I have not introduced myself. I am Londaris, this is my private bodyguard, Tueri.”

Tueri bows. “At your service.” He says with a flash of a smile and fishes in his pocket for the key to their bindings.

While the bodyguard gets to work opening their shackles, Londaris continues. “You have free use of my home. Tueri will assign you rooms. I believe the west suite would suit you best as it has a small kitchen attached as well as several rooms. Feel free to ask for anything you need. My wife’s personal shopper will see to getting you clothing as soon as we are done here.” He nods to Tueri to inform the person in question. “If you would like to join the household for meals, you are more than welcome to do so. If you prefer to keep to yourselves that is also acceptable. It will take several days for me to secure a ship and bring it here discreetly. I’m sure you could imagine I’d prefer not to start a political incident.”

“You keep saying that. Whose ass are you covering? Your government or your own?” Jack said rubbing his wrists as he shook the kinks out of his shoulders.

“Oh a bit of column A, a bit of column B…” He admitted with a chuckle. “It would not look good on my record if my employers knew my time away has led to this… fiasco.”

A servant knocked politely. “Come.” Upon the appearance of the newcomer, every member of SG-1 tensed as if preparing themselves. Londaris put up a hand. “I know each of my staff on sight. No one would be able to sneak into my home and disguise themselves.” He nodded when they collectively slightly relaxed.

“Sir, the noon meal is served. Will your guests be joining us?”

“I believe they will.” Londaris said with a hopeful smile.

Jack rocked on the heels of his worn prison shoes. “We’re a bit underdressed.”

Londaris laughed. “We eat lunch in the kitchen with the servants. By the evening meal, you should have some clothing of your own.”

Daniel shrugged at Jack. Sam seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with him and Teal’c gave him the ‘you think I care what I look like while I eat’ look. “Sure. We could eat.”

Londaris chuckled a little. “There will be four more for lunch, Dulcina.”

“Yes sir.” She agreed and politely left.

“Now then, Tueri will show you to your rooms where you may rest until the noon meal.”

“If you will follow me please.” The bodyguard said as he went to the door.

Jack nodded and put his hand out in supplication with a small bow for the rest of his team to follow the man while he brought up the rear. He gave Sam a questioning look when she didn’t make eye contact with him and frowned when she didn’t seem to notice.


	10. Chapter 10

The guest suite was done in calming pale colors, mostly blues and coffee, it reminded Jack of the beach a little. When Sam walked to the large balcony and looked out, Jack put his head down and motioned Daniel and Teal’c over to speak to them both. “One of you stay with Carter at all times, even when she sleeps.”

“Is something wrong Jack?”

“I’m not sure but she’s not acting like herself. I’m worried about it.”

“She does not appear to desire your company O’Neill.” Teal’c pointed out needlessly.

Jack just nodded and without another word went to find a bathroom. They could all use a hot shower but he’d settle for washing his face for now.

Half an hour later an attractive red head came in and smiled engagingly at them, especially Jack. Normally Sam’s reaction to such behavior would be a hairy eyeball but she didn’t even seem to notice. Daniel and Teal’c exchanged a look.

After she left, Sam went to one of the rooms to lie down. All three men stared at each other miserably. There was nothing any of them could do and they couldn’t talk about it with her right in the next room.

Finally Daniel figured out how to break the silence. “So do you think he’s telling us the truth? About letting us go that is?”

“Well that or he’s selling us out to the Goa’uld and is trying to keep us complacent until they get here.” Jack said thoughtfully.

“That’s a cheerful thought.” Daniel said sarcastically.

“It was not, Daniel Jackson.”

“Thanks T.” Jack said with an ironic smirk. Sometimes Teal’c didn’t get the joke but most of the time Teal’c was actually being a dick by pretending to not get the joke.

Jack supposed some of Sam’s odd behavior was her exhaustion with being cooped up with him for over a year. Jack could get on his own nerves let alone someone else’s. He really wished he had a yo-yo right now... or something to juggle. See, that right there is why she’s sick of you, O’Neill. He told himself and shook his head slightly.

One of the maids came into the common area of their suit. “It is now midday meal if you wish to join us?”

“Thanks.” Jack said.

“Major Carter has fallen asleep.” Teal’c said. “I shall remain with her until your return.”

“I’ll bring you both up a tray.” The maid said politely to Teal’c who nodded in agreement.

Jack and Daniel followed the maid out. “Hey, make sure you put enough food for about four regular people on that tray. The big guy eats a lot and Carter is pregnant.”

She nodded. “Is she having food aversions?”

“Uh… only really smelly stuff.” Jack said thoughtfully. Daniel gave Jack an odd look. “What? I’ve been sleeping and eating with her daily for months, Danny. I’d have to be pretty oblivious not to notice stuff at this point.”

“Ok.” Daniel said soothingly, his hands up in supplication. He wasn’t sure what nerve he’d hit.

“I will be sure to add some pregnancy friendly foods, sir.” She said gently, trying to defuse the unexpected tension between the two very attractive men.

“Thanks.” Jack said shortly still giving Daniel the evil eye.

* * *

“Why did you not wish to dine with the others, Samantha?” Teal’c asked her once Jack and Daniel were long out of ear shot.

There was a pause. “How did you know I was awake?”

“You would not have fooled O’Neill either. Your breathing rate was too rapid.” He told her.

Sam finally sat up and clasped her hands in her knees. “I don’t know what to do.” She admitted.

“What is it you are uncertain about?” He could guess easily but he knew to process her resolutions, she had to articulate the problem verbally.

Sam sighed. “Colonel O’Neill is probably going to be saddled with a child he doesn’t want because he was forced to sleep with me against his will and that’s assuming they don’t throw him in the nearest brig first.”

Teal’c nodded thoughtfully. “I do not believe O’Neill does not want this child, Samantha. I believe he is afraid to hope you do.”

Sam looked at him oddly. After a long moment she sighed. “That’s worse.”

“How do you mean?”

“Because he’s so upset about the situation that he hasn’t said that. He hasn’t even tried to.”

Teal’c nodded. “That is true.”

Sam didn’t continue. She was certain that want this baby or not, Jack wasn’t ready to co-parent with her specifically and certainly not a baby conceived against his will.

Teal’c understood Sam more than she knew. “Perhaps you should rest until our food arrives.”

“Thanks Teal’c.” she said.

* * *

Later that evening clothes were dropped off for SG-1. Everyone changed into the simple shirts and linen slacks common to the planet. Sam’s shirts were made out of some stretchy material meant to drape easily over her slowly expanding belly. She thanked the maid that brought them clothing but otherwise hadn’t said anything to any of them.

Jack was almost positive it wasn’t her usual ‘lost in thought about a doohickey’ silence and cast worried frowns in her direction when he didn’t think she’d see them.

When she showed no inclination to go down to dinner with everyone else, Jack finally had it. Enough was enough. “Carter. It’s not fair to Teal’c and Danny to make them stay behind.”

“I’m fine by myself, sir.” She said in a hollow absent voice.

“Like hell you are.” He said under his breath. “I’m making it an order… Major.” His face having gone stern to hide his worry.

“Yes sir.” But her tone was acidic.

Jack gave her a sharp look but let it go. It had been a year and a half since they had disappeared. By now, they were all listed MIA and most likely PKIA. Once that happened... anything that happened between them was essentially their own damn business in theory.

In practice though, it was likely Hammond would have to yank some very hard knots in someone’s ass. Jack snorted out a frustrated sigh and herded his team down the hall, sullen silent Carter included.

Tueri greeted them as they entered the main dining hall. “Ah, Major Carter, you are feeling better then? Londaris has instructed me to inform you that a medical professional will be made available to you shortly. For obvious reasons, we’d prefer none of you left the grounds so a private room will be equipped as soon as we are able to help track the progress of your pregnancy.”

“Thank you, Tueri.” Sam said simply and offered no opinion on being kept in captivity or being examined.

Lontaris joined them shortly as did his wife, Florina.

“It is nice to finally meet you all.” She said with a kind smile especially for Sam in particular. “How far along are you dear?”

“About five months in my people’s time, Ma’am.” Sam said quietly.

“How exciting. Have you picked out any names yet? No, of course not, how uncouth of me, you must have thought they were going to sell your baby until just today.” She looked briefly distressed and patted Sam’s arm. “I am sorry for what’s happened to you. We were off planet for three years and only just now got back. Lontaris is furious about the entire thing.”

Jack watched the woman try to engage Sam and smiled inwardly. She was playing at being somewhat vapid but there was an obvious well intended duplicity in her manner. She did seem to genuinely care what happened to Sam but was trying to make her smile at this outwardly silly vapid woman. ‘Well done, Florina’ he thought. ‘If Sam is going to respond to anything it’s going to be that’.

Sam however polite wasn’t taking the bait though and remained withdrawn. Jack gave Florina a wan smile and the conversation swirled around the star system’s various legal exports and relationships with other star clusters in the immediate area.

Jack half expected her to try to excuse herself right after the meal but Sam stuck it out though only spoke when spoken to directly.

“I think they are sincere, Jack.” Daniel was saying.

Jack thought for a moment. “I hope you’re right, Danny. Keep your eyes open. All of you.” Not that he expected Sam to pay attention to anything in her current state. She wasn’t out of it so much as just disassociating. Jack ran his tongue along his teeth thoughtfully. “I don’t want a rehash of the incident with the Eurondans.” Jack waited for Sam’s snarky remark that he got the name right but it never came. Jack was getting a bit desperate here. Short of some ridiculous cheesy romance novel level schmaltz, he didn’t know what to do to snap her out of this. They had a job to finish.

When they got back to their wing, Jack flopped down with a disgruntled sigh and Sam all but drifted back to her room and lay down on her bed facing the wall.

Jack’s eyebrows drew together and Daniel started to ask him about Sam but Jack shook his head heard and firmly set his mouth. This was not open for discussion. Not until he got to the bottom of what was going on.


	11. Chapter 11

Three days later, Sam was still silent and emotionally shut off from them. Teal’c was about to offer to stay with again during breakfast then frowned. “O’Neill. I wish to take my breakfast with the other members of the household today.” He said firmly.

“Uh... sure T… I’ll stay here.” Jack said, cutting his eyes to Sam’s room.

“I cou— ow!” Daniel hissed the last as Teal’c scraped Daniel’s shin with the side of his large booted foot.

“O’Neill will remain with Samantha, Daniel Jackson.” He said sternly to his younger friend and clapped a hand on Daniel’s shoulder to steer him out of the room.

Sam was laying on her bed halfway in the fetal position facing the wall again. She’d been examined by the doctor and she and the baby were fine. He’d asked if she wanted him to be with her during her examination and she’d emphatically shook her head but her ‘no’ was soft with resignation.

Jack felt very left out frankly. He wanted to be part of this… but he supposed if she didn’t want the baby… she didn’t want him getting attached either. Well it was too damned late for _that._

Jack watched her lay there for several moments before his fist balled as he screwed up his courage and walked into her room and sat on the edge of her bed.

“Carter…”

“I don’t want company, sir.” She said in a flat emotionless voice… but there was an edge to it… one he recognized. She was fighting tears.

“Sam…”

But all Sam did was sniffle once softly.

‘That’s it!’ he decided. He leaned towards her and pulled her into his embrace.

“Dammit, Jack, I said— “

“Shut up, Carter. I haven’t gotten you to say three words to me in days. You can go another five minutes.” He said in frustration as he slid his head down onto her shoulder and just held her until she started sobbing quietly… and kept holding her until the sobs stopped.

“I’m sorry, sir…”

“Sam, you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He told her and tilted her face to look him in the eyes. “I should have tried harder to not have any accidents. I should have found a way out sooner. I shouldn’t have let us get caught in that sweep in the first place. I— “

“Stop it sir. I get it.” She sighed. “It’s too late.”

“Uh… too late for what?”

“I talked to the doctor that examined me. I’m further along than we thought. It’s too late to safely abort.”

“I see.” He said, pain in his eyes and voice.

“I’m sorry I’m sticking you with a child you didn’t plan for and didn’t wan— “

He’d pressed his lips to hers. It was a gentle kiss, mouth closed. Meant more to distract her than anything else. “Sam, I wasn’t expecting to be a parent again. That doesn’t mean I don’t want this baby we’ve created. We’ll figure something out.” He sighed. “You might have to hold out until they let me out of the pokey though before you have full time parental childcare. I have enough savings to cover full time childcare for you so you can go back to work until they let me out.” He rested his forehead on hers. “I know you didn’t really want kids, Sam. I’ll make this as easy for you as I can.”

She looked at him confused. “Not want… Jack, what are you talking about?”

He gave her a perplexed frown. “Ah… I see.” He deduced it was him she didn’t want kids with.

But Sam for a change understood the self-flagellation he was performing on himself. “Jack?”

Jack’s eyes shifted down and to the left. A behavior she’d long ago recognized as he was about to tell her what he thought she wanted to hear.

“Don’t you dare.” She warned him.

“Dare what?” He asked, eyebrows up.

“Don’t you dare spin some bullshit at me, sir. We’ve been through too much for you to start lying to me again about your feelings.” He hadn’t, not really, but he’d been very tight lipped about them from time to time. It had started the night on his roof their second year together when he’d jokingly kissed her and it had turned heated and full of need almost immediately. They had agreed they both knew why things were that way and it was best to just not bring it up… and future kisses ended up slow and full of regret after that. After the Za’tarc incident when they were forced to admit why in front of Janet and Teal’c, they kissed less and didn’t speak of it at all. But the feelings hadn’t gone away. If anything her feelings had solidified from that delightful rush of heart pounding excitement to a sort of slow burn that made her dream of loving him in the night and take extra pains on those next mornings to be professional.

“Look it’s one thing to have a thing for someone and another to make kids with them. I get it.”

She shook her head. “This again? Did you forget I have access to your personnel file or something?”

Jack at least had the decency to blush as his mouth puckered into a lopsided moue.

“If this war hadn’t gone on so long I would have…”

“Would have what, Carter? Transferred out of my command? Retired? Thrown yourself at me? Why waste yourself like that?”

It was Sam’s turn to frown in frustration. Especially as she was in his lap still and she could feel him pressing urgently against her bottom. She looked at her watch that the Administrator had somehow retrieved. They had their weapons too though they were locked up somewhere in the house. “Oh, screw this, we have half an hour.” She said and started tugging at the hem of her shirt.

“Carter!” Jack managed to squeak out as her shirt was tossed away and her bra followed it.

Turning in his arms, Sam ignored his objection and shoved him backward on the bed. “Get your clothes off already. We’re on a timetable.” She was now straddling him and untying the cord cinching his loose linen pants.

Jack groaned and pulled his shirt over his head though, unable to resist her.

* * *

Half an hour later, Daniel and Teal’c returned to a silent suite until they heard a snort followed by a relatively quiet snore coming from Sam’s room. Both of them recognized that as Jack’s snore and gave each other a knowing look.

“I will check on them.” Teal’c told Daniel who’d been traumatized enough by listening to them make love for months on end.

Daniel nodded.

Teal’c poked his head in the open door. Retreated to grab the blanket off Jack’s bed and returned to cover them both as they were snuggled on her bed, Sam was sprawled across Jack, her golden hair in disarray, Jack had an arm wrapped around Sam, his fingers spread across her hip, his face buried in her shoulder. He smiled slightly after covering them and returned to the main room.

“They are asleep and appear to have settled their differences for now.”

“Well, that’s a relief. It was starting to get a little too General Hospital soap opera around here for my taste.” Daniel grumbled as he picked up a book that had been on the shelf.

“Indeed.”

* * *

Sam was still somewhat subdued after that evening but Jack set up camp in her room at night. They were thankfully discreet at least in Daniel’s opinion. The walls were thick and the doors closed firmly. That wasn’t to say he wasn’t happy for them but he hadn’t had a date in two years and it was kind of distracting hearing your friends in the throes of lovemaking next door.

After two weeks as the Administrator’s guests, he requested they join him in his office at the back of the house.

“Please… sit. I have news.”

Jack pulled out a chair for Sam and stood behind her, a hand protectively on her shoulder. Daniel and Teal’c found chairs to sit in.

Londaris rested his elbows on his desk and steepled his fingers. His hair had glints of silver mixed with the nearly solid black and they glittered in the late morning light streaming in. “There is a transport for you docked in port. We will need to get you there discreetly and pay the captain to fly ‘off course’ as they say on accident. At which point, he will falsify a malfunction and take you wherever you wish to go. Your own planet or an allied planet of your choosing. I’d prefer you did not tell me which. If something goes wrong, the less I am able to tell them the better should the topic come up.

“The staff are gathering your things and will take them to the ship before you arrive. Your quarters will very austere but serviceable. Our ships can travel about a thousand parsecs per day.”

“Sir, that means we will be home in two weeks.” Sam told Jack.

Jack patted her shoulder. He’d done the math in his head too. “We’ll need snacks.” Was all he said.

Daniel gave him an exasperated look.

“For Carter.” Jack insisted. “She’s pregnant.”

Daniel rolled his eyes.

“While the servants pack your things, Miss Carter, would you like a final check-up?”

Sam nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

Londaris tapped a button on a console. “Helis, Miss Carter would like a quick check up before she takes a small trip.”

“I will be prepared for her, Administrator.”

“Excellent.” He tapped the console again. “At your leisure, ma’am.”

Sam stood and looked at Jack. “Well?” she finally said.

“You’re sure?”

She smiled softly at him. “Really?”

His eyes twinkled with amusement and he followed her out. She knew the way.

After they had left the room, Londaris looked at Daniel and Teal’c. “Will what has happened cause them difficulties?”

“Probably.” Daniel admitted.

“I will do what I can. I had planned to butcher that pig but perhaps instead I will wring a confession out of him and his head medical officer first. Is there a way I might contact your people after you have left?”

“You don’t have a Stargate but you could go to one of our secure bases and present your case.”

“Would it not be wise to give him a note, Daniel Jackson?”

“Oh! Yah good idea, Teal’c. Do you have some paper and a pen? There’s this guy, his name is Lou Feretti. You tell them you won’t talk to anyone else when you get there. He’ll recognize my handwriting. Especially if you give him an empty box of tissues.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Inside joke. One only he’s going to get and he will know for sure it’s me.”

Londaris looked at Daniel rather quizzically but passed over a pad of paper and a pen.

* * *

“She’s healthy and doing well, Miss Carter.” The nurse said to her as she ran a scanner over Sam’s abdomen. “You should be able to have a safe vaginal birth.”

“Thank you for checking.” Sam said.

The nurse smiled. “First pregnancies are always scary. No matter how much you read and prepare yourself even if you’ve had loads of pregnant friends, cousins, and aunts, the first one for yourself is scary.”

Sam nodded and Jack squeezed her hand. “So have you thought of any names yet, Carter?” he asked her.

Sam bit her lip. “How do you feel about Janet Grace?”

Jack looked down as tears pricked his eyes. Once he had control of the painful emotions on his face he smiled at her. “I think it’s perfect.” The glowing smile she gave him said she knew he was being honest. They had all loved Janet so much it was only right to honor her memory this way.

The nurse smiled at them both. Clearly the name was special to them. Someone who was loved, family. “I believe with parents as loving as hers, Janet Grace is going to be a very lucky girl.”

Jack nodded gravely. That remained to be seen. There was that likelihood of being arrested. “Carter, let’s go back to our rooms for a bit. I need to talk to you about something.”

She nodded. “All right.”

When they reached their suite, Teal’c and Daniel weren’t back yet but probably would be soon so they didn’t have much time.

“Sam, there’s a pretty high probability someone will have it in for me enough to put me in the crosshairs.” He gave her the sternest look he could manage. “You’re going to let them, Sam. You’re going to let them arrest me and you’re going to let them try me.”

Sam’s expression became mutinous. 

Jack put up a finger. “The most they can give me is two years, Sam. Well and yank my retirement but I’ve got plenty of money saved up. We’ll be okay without my pension… Sam, if you act like a willing participant they will send us both up the river and then who’s going to take care of our daughter?”

Sam shook her head. “Jack…”

“Sam, it has to be this way. I can’t stand the idea of you giving birth alone in a prison.”

She glared up at him. “Why are you sacrificing yourself again? They don’t have a leg to stand on. We’ve been MIA for over eighteen months.”

His hands came up and cupped her face gently. “I’ll be all right, Sam. It’s not my first trip to jail you know.”

She bit her lower lip trying not to laugh at his poor excuse for a joke. They had been tossed in a hole more times than she could easily count off the top of her head.

He wrapped her into a heartfelt hug. “I’m an old man- Carter. I can only handle worrying about one thing at a time.”

This time she did chuckle. It was watery but there and her arms tightened around him.

* * *

Their cabin was small. It had four bunks and little else. Everyone’s mood was subdued. They wanted to go home but no one for a moment didn’t think some of their remaining enemies would be out to get them.

Jack had Sam give the pilot coordinates for the Alpha Site. They would hail the base from orbit before they were sent down on a shuttle. Jack really didn’t feel like getting his ass shot off.

“When we hit planet fall, I want Dr. Harris to give you a check-up right away, Sam.” Jack told her.

“What do you want me to say if he asks who the father is?” She asked him archly.

“Tell him you’re there for a checkup not the bloody Spanish Inquisition.” Jack snarled.

“Ok... touchy subject.” Daniel said under his breath.

“Which reminds me… not one of you is to try to protect me from any bright ideas NID gets. You got it?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Jack?”

“You know damn well they have been looking for a way to get rid of me for years. If they’ve got me, they might leave Sam alone.” Jack admonished him.

Daniel frowned but he knew Jack was right. He didn’t have to like it though. “Fine.” Daniel told Jack, a clear sulk in both his body language and expression.

* * *

Later that evening Daniel found Jack on an observation deck staring literally out into space. He leaned on the rail next to him. They didn’t speak for a long time.

Finally Jack broke. “Spill it.”

“Londaris is going to try to get proof you and Sam are innocent of wrongdoing. He’s got a note for Lou from me when he has it.” Daniel never took his eyes off the view while he said this but he covertly watched the pained expression on Jack’s face in the reflection in the transparent pane.

“What the hell is that supposed to accomplish?”

“This isn’t your fault.” Daniel said simply.

“That isn’t going to matter to Kinsey.”

“So what? You finally get a second chance and you throw it away? For what, Jack?” Daniel asked him in frustration.

“To protect Carter.” Jack told him softly.

Daniel’s stomach bottomed out. “Oh.”

“If they get me they might leave her alone.”

Daniel nodded slowly. Now he understood Jack’s actions perfectly. It was always about protecting Sam. He patted Jack’s arm a couple times and sighed. They stared out at the whirl of light outside the ship together in silence after that.


	12. Chapter 12

P4X-650 was an arboreal and very pretty planet. It had clusters of small continents surrounded by expansive oceans.

All four of them were on the bridge of the ship when the base hailed them during their planetary approach.

“Alpha Base, this is ‘Daunou’s Hand. We have some passengers you might be interested in hearing from.” The communications engineer announced.

“Hey guys, di’ja miss us?” Jack said cheerfully.

“Colonel O’Neill?” The question was a combination of incredulity and excitement.

“Last time I checked yah. Hey, you guys got some decent grub? The stuff served on this ship is worse than the crap in our MRE’s.”

The next voice was Ben Pierce. “Jack, you old son of a gun, where the hell have you been?”

“We took an extended vacation at Chez Prisón. We all got out but I can’t take the credit. We had some help.”

“You have Major Carter, Dr. Jackson and Teal’c with you sir?!”

“Say hi kids.” Jack said with a grin.

“Hi Ben.” Sam said.

“Hey Ben.” Daniel said almost immediately after.

“Colonel Pierce, it is good to hear your voice.” Teal’c said.

“Listen, we’ll shuttle down and meet you outside the base. Might need a welcome wagon.”

“Wagon? For you, Jack, I’m trotting out the whole dame parade complete with floats and balloons.” Ben told them excitedly.

Jack chuckled and shook his head. “We’re home, kids.” He told his team. And whatever else happened, home was home. He slung an arm around Danny’s neck to give him a noogie.

* * *

There was a small gathering in the field just south of the entrance to the base. Pierce and Sheffield stood together and remarkably both men were able to control their shock as Sam now looked clearly pregnant.

There were a lot of hugs and back pounding depending on the relationship. Everyone was gentle with Sam for obvious reasons.

“Ben, Mike, These are the folks that got us home.”

“Pleasure.” Ben said, putting out a hand that the captain of the Daunou’s Hand and shook it. “Thanks for getting our people home.”

“It was my honor. I will extend your thanks to Administrator Londaris.”

“Well, let’s get everyone inside folks.” Ben said, herding his people back to the base.

“Sir, I appreciate your hospitality but your delivery stop isn’t strictly sanctioned by our government and we’d like to return to our own space as discreetly as possible.” The captain whose name was Paulidris told Colonel Pierce.

“Oh, oh yes, of course. Carry on then.” He said with an absent wave of his hand.

“You’re going grey.” Jack noted to Ben as they walked back to the base together after the shuttle left.

“Have you looked in the mirror in the last year, Jack?” Ben asked him chuckling. “How’s Sam?”

“Hanging in there. I want her to see Dr. Harris first.”

“How far along is she?”

“About six months.” Jack told him.

“Who’s the father?”

But Jack just sighed at that question.

“Ah.”

“Yah.” Jack frowned. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“I still have to tell them, Jack.” Ben said with regret.

“I know that.” Jack grunted.

“What are you going to do?”

“Handle it.” Jack told the other man and wouldn’t discuss it further.

Two hours later after bloodwork and an ultrasound for Sam, SG-1 sat in the briefing room of Alpha-Site on conference call with General Hammond.

“Son, your betting pool just swept the squares.” George told Jack.

“Walter cleaned up, didn’t he, sir?”

George chuckled. “Yes he did, son. Glad to hear your whole team made it out all right.”

“We did, sir. Thank you.” Jack said.

“All right. We have an open window for your return in two hours, SG-1. Prepare for a full debriefing after your checkups.”

“Yes sir.” Jack said firmly and Ben stood as the tech let him know the Gate had disengaged.

“Go grab some grub, guys.” Ben suggested.

Jack tilted his head at his team who took the hint though Sam gave him a perturbed look. His eyes asked her to trust him and she gave him a small nod before leaving with Teal’c.

“I haven’t seen Lou.” Jack said casually.

“You know how it goes. He’ll be back next week.”

Jack nodded thoughtfully. “Do me a favor if you can, try to keep him around. Our benefactor has proof that Sam and I are innocent of wrongdoing but it’s going to take him a little time to get back. We told him to talk specifically to Lou.”

“So, what, you don’t trust me now?” Ben asked Jack in an injured tone.

“It’s not that, Ben, I gave the guy specific instructions to prove the message is legit. Only Lou is going to know what it is.” Jack told him, choosing to keep Danny out of the mix for now if Ben is asked.

“Playing this close to your chest might backfire, Jack.” Ben warned him.

“Yah yah… But there’s only so much I can do and the most important thing is to protect Sam from any fall out.” Jack admitted.

Ben nodded. “What are you going to do?”

“Play it by ear. There’s not much I can do. I know there’s enough bad blood with NID alone that someone is going to have a problem with this situation.”

“How do you feel about this… situation?”

Jack snorted then grinned a little. “The timing could be better.” He admitted but his expression indicated he was very happy about being a dad.

Ben gave Jack a sort of lopsided smile. “For what it’s worth, congratulations. I hope not too much of this bites you on the ass.”

“Thanks Ben.” Jack told his friend but his expression before it closed off into the flat military expression he assumed when the shit was in the wind was one of worry.

Ben shook his head as his old friend walked out of the briefing room. They should have gotten married years ago in Ben’s opinion. To hell with being on the same team.

* * *

Roughly two hours later the Gate is dialed up and SG-1 stands ready to leave in borrowed fatigues. They had their weapons back and what equipment had been salvaged from the prison storeroom which wasn’t much.

“See yah around, Ben.” Jack told his old friend.

Ben nodded. “I’ll keep my eye out for your lucky charm.”

“Appreciate it. Well, come on, campers, time to go home and tell dad how much fun we had.” Jack quips dryly and walks to the ramp without looking back.

When Daniel, Teal’c, and finally Sam join him, they walk together through the Gate.

“Welcome home SG-1” George said with a fond smile but it was strained and the mood in the Gate room was subdued.

Everyone knew why when General Bauer stomped in with a pair of cold faced colonels flanking him and four AFs ahead of him. “Arrest that man.” He ordered the Air Force Police unit he’d brought and pointed at Jack.

“We discussed you doing this after their medical check and debriefing, Henry.” Hammond said in stern tone.

“So you can shove him back through the Gate to who knows where? I think not, George.”

The AFs grabbed Jack’s arms and tugged them behind his back. Jack’s expression had gone from cautiously happy to see Hammond to dead blank after a single look of warning to his team.

“Sir,” One of the colonels with Bauer said, “You are under arrest for violation of USMCC code Subparagraph Article 134. You have the right to remain silent per UCMJ Article 31. You have a right to representation according to Article 31.”

“I’m sorry, son, he arrived about an hour ago. There’s not anything I can do.” George admitted.

Jack just stoically looked ahead, not responding to the charges he expected. Hammond watched as Jack was led out of the Gate room without any resistance.

“Bauer, you’ll be hearing from Colonel O’Neill’s representative shortly.” He warned the other man, in case he had plans to get creative and try to take him off base without SGC knowledge.

Henry Bauer just smiled smugly as Jack was taken to the brig.

“The remainder of SG-1 will report to the infirmary.” George said. His voice clipped with suppressed ire.

As Sam passed, Bauer sneered. “You’re next.” He said just loud enough that Teal’c heard him too. Before Sam could react, Teal’c grabbed her arm and tugged her through the door. Sam looked like she’d gleefully commit murder. Of all the asshats, the NID could have sent this one took the cake.

_**So ends part one… dun dun DUUNNNNNN!!!!!** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end.... it is only the beginning....


End file.
